Page 45

45

Kai

T he moment my eyes opened, I felt it—something different, something beautiful. Stars shone in front of my eyes, soft pinpricks of blue light, low enough to touch.

Touch the stars? Gosh, if only.

That had been a dream of mine once, back when I dreamed of useless things. When I’d been nothing more than a number to my kingdom and before I’d discovered what truly mattered. Now, every dream felt small compared to the wish of the four of us being together.

Still, I reached out. A soft gasp escaped me as my fingers brushed over the tiny lights, stirring up a faint glow that seemed to pulse with the beat of my heart.

Another gasp came, soft and familiar. “Kai?”

My hand froze mid-swipe. Cool sand shifted under my fins as I turned toward the voice, hardly daring to believe.

Was this a dream? Because there she was. Claira .

The soft light of the stars bathed her precious, wonderful face, casting delicate shadows along her cheekbones. Her lashes fluttered, her eyes squinting as if every glimmer of light stung them. Yet even like this, she was more than breathtaking.

“Claira,” I breathed, shifting instinctively to shield her from the light. Only, more stars flickered to life between us, and she winced. “Oh—s-sorry!” I stammered.

Then it hit me—the glow from my eyes must have been bothering her, too. Quickly, I dropped my gaze, and that’s when I noticed her hand entwined with mine, our bodies barely a fin apart. Whoa. How had I not realized we were holding hands sooner?

Claira . I’d wanted so badly to hold her hand again. I tightened my grip around it, her skin feeling so real against the surreal glow surrounding us.

This wasn’t a dream, was it? Which meant these weren’t stars. They were the phenomenon Barren had mentioned and the reason the merfolk here didn’t need glowing eyes to see.

I sat up, searching for him and Lee when Claira stopped me with a soft touch to my chest. “Kai, please,” she rasped, her voice thick with exhaustion. “You’re hurt.”

A warm flutter washed over me, my gaze immediately snapping to where her delicate fingers rested on my bare chest. “I’m hurt?” I questioned, tilting my chin. My mind felt tired, and my thoughts were foggy, but I didn’t feel any pain. Actually, my body felt... oddly amazing .

“You are,” she insisted, and I sucked down a gulp as her fingers traced a line across my chest. “I’m so glad you’re awake,” she whispered, the words nearly breaking. Her touch, paired with her voice, sent a shiver through me that reached the tips of my fins. The feeling intensified as her hand drifted from my chest, trailing along my right arm.

“You were so brave,” she continued in that same whisper, although her gorgeous lips pulled into a frown. “Coming to save me like that.”

Oh.

I swallowed hard, torn between soaking in the warmth of her compliment and reliving the memories of how our plan to rescue her had gone so horribly wrong. I didn’t want to think about that. How close we’d come to losing her again. Before I could stop myself, I pulled her into my arms, clutching her as if she might slip away. As if she might disappear again when I wasn’t looking.

“I missed you so much,” I murmured, burying my face in her hair. So soft. Even though her scent had changed during our time apart, I would recognize her anywhere—my mate, my heart, my everything.

“I missed you, too, Kai.” Her voice was somehow even softer than her hair. A lump formed in my throat as she returned my embrace, her arms wrapping around my back like maybe she was afraid I’d disappear, too.

I’d imagined this moment a thousand times, but nothing compared to the reality of having her here with me again.

Her grip around me went tight, so tight that it might have been painful if it weren’t for the overwhelming relief of holding her in my arms. “Seriously, you don’t know how happy I am that you’re okay,” she said, and my heart swelled, threatening to burst.

I honestly had no idea how I was even here. That dark spawn had been terrifying, catching us off guard by tracking the scent of the ink on her skin.

Wait . The ink was gone. Her skin, her hair, all of it was clean. I drank in her scent again, savoring her sweetness. She smelled better than anything—the ocean breeze, the land, and even sunlight. She was better than everything I’d ever longed for.

“We should’ve known one of those dark spawn might track us,” I murmured, loving the feeling of her neck relaxing against me. “I should’ve been more careful.”

And then there was my trident. Yikes . That definitely hadn’t been part of the plan. I could feel it inside me now, or at least I thought I could. Surprisingly, it wasn’t nearly as terrifying as I’d imagined.

Instead, a bright, electric energy buzzed through my insides, vibrant and inspiring. It made me want to create something beautiful, something extraordinary .

Was this how Leander felt? His trident pushing him to summon storms and churn the sea? Dude . That would explain why it was so hard for him to learn how to control his temper.

“You couldn’t have known, Kai.” Claira’s neck shuddered as she swallowed. “None of it was your fault.”

It sure felt like it was. But since she was here, safe in my arms, maybe we hadn’t failed her after all? That was a wishful thought, even for me.

I pulled back slightly, lifting my head from the comfort of her hair to finally take in our surroundings. “How did we even get away? Where are we?” I asked, glancing at the curved walls surrounding us. More clusters of stars glimmered against the rough stone while coral filled every crevice and overhang with vibrant purples and reds. “A cave?” I mumbled, still half-disbelieving we’d somehow made it here together.

Claira nodded, her gaze joining mine in its wander around the enclosed space. “Some sort of cave, I guess.” There was an almost grateful tone in her voice, though it was also hoarse and weary. The sound tugged at me, making me want to draw her closer and help soothe her aches.

“I didn’t exactly find this place,” she admitted, glancing up at the thick strands of kelp swaying at what I assumed was the entrance, blocking our view of the outside ocean. “More like… I fell into it, dragging you along with me.” She snorted. “I took it as a sign that maybe we both needed some rest.”

That sounded like a good call. I wasn’t sure about everything that had happened to her, but she looked so utterly drained.

“Wait,” I breathed, my voice caught between awe and disbelief. “You—you were carrying me? Pulling me along with you?”

“Is that so surprising?” She looked away, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks as she murmured, “I had to. You were injured.”

Whoa. How could it not be surprising, especially since she couldn’t swim?

No wonder she seemed so worn out. It must have been so hard for her. I took the end of her tail, drawing both it and her closer, and gently repositioned it across my lap.

“Oh, finally. Your turn to carry me ,” she said, a beautiful smile lighting her face. She looked adorable as she reclined in my arms, her shoulders wiggling like she was trying to get comfortable. “Should I take a nap then?” she asked with a soft laugh.

My face immediately went red. “O-okay.”

“I’m joking, Kai. You’re still recovering.”

“Oh,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment. Honestly, her falling asleep in my arms sounded like the best thing ever.

Wait— recovering? The word echoed in my mind as I snapped my attention down to my chest. Phew. There were no marks, even where I was sure my trident had pierced me.

Her arms slid around my neck. “I can’t wait to get back to Barren and Lee,” she said with a tired sigh. “I barely got a chance to talk to any of you before everything went to hell.”

“But you’ve been talking to Barren in your dreams, right?” I asked, hoping I didn’t seem too jealous. The idea of being able to reach her, even when she wasn’t around, sounded amazing.

One of her eyebrows drew up. “Excuse me?” Her voice was soft but wary, as if she wasn’t sure she’d heard me right.

“At least, uh, he said he’d talked to you in a dream,” I added, which didn’t seem to clear up her confusion either. “It’s one of the powers his trident gave him. I thought you knew.”

It was like I’d just dropped a weight on top of her. Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, and then, like a wave crashing, pure horror washed across her face.

Oh. Time to change the subject. “So the pelicans found them, then?” I said, trying to salvage the moment. “That’s a relief! I was worried they wouldn’t.” I gave a shaky laugh as I tried to piece together what happened to them before everything went black.

No luck. It was all a blur.

“The pelicans?” she repeated slowly, staring at me again like I was speaking another language. “You… actually knew those seabirds?”

My face heated. “Um, sort of? I mean, I made them,” I explained, a sliver of pride sneaking in.

“You made them.” She took a steadying breath, slowly nodding. “That actually makes a lot of sense. But I… I don’t know what happened to Lee and Barren,” she admitted quietly. Her blush deepened, her lashes lowering just a touch. “I hope your birds found them—I hope they’re both safe on land, I really do. I have this feeling inside me that they’re okay, but I don’t know what happened to them after I went back for you.”

Wait. She went back? For me?

My heart stuttered. Was that why we were here together? Because my mate—sweet, strong, beautiful beyond all reason—had gone back for me?

It was like my mind didn’t know how to wrap around it. The words tangled in my throat, almost refusing to come out. “Me? Why… Why me?” Leander and Barren were both there, both in danger. I shouldn’t have been the priority, right?

“Why you?” Her arms tightened around my neck, those magnificent gray eyes sparkling more wonderfully than any star. “I didn’t even think, Kai. I just knew that when that ceca—” A rough cough cut her off, making her stumble over the word. Irritation flickered across her face before she continued. “When that asshole took you, I knew I couldn’t let him have you. I couldn’t… lose you.”

Just when I thought my heart couldn’t take anymore, she brought her hand to my cheek, brushing a thumb over my heated skin with a tenderness that sharpened all my senses at once.

It was thrilling. Terrifying. One touch and my thoughts were overwhelmed by urges I could hardly contain.

I let her tail rest against mine, freeing my hand to take hers, and brought her palm to my lips, pressing a hungry kiss against it. “Claira, I… I don’t know how I’ll ever deserve you.”

She swallowed hard, her throat working as if my declaration had stirred up the same emotions she’d awakened in me. “Deserve me?” she whispered. “Kai, I don’t know how I’m lucky enough to have someone as wonderful as you. You’ve shown me more warmth and kindness than anyone. No one makes me feel as cared for as you do.”

Her hand gradually pulled away from my lips, leading mine down with it until they both rested lightly over my heart. “And, well, I love you,” she added quietly, her voice beautifully sincere.

For a fleeting instant, I feared that something might ruin this moment. That one of us might look away, retreating behind our usual shyness. Or maybe that I’d wake up to find that it was all a dream.

But instead, her gaze held mine steady, even against the glow from my eyes.

Claira loved me.

She loved me .

I felt a smile break free, wider and fuller than it had been in ages. “I love you, too.” My heart thumped faster with every word. “More than anything.”

She leaned closer, her fingers tracing the curve of my mouth. “There it is,” she murmured, her voice soft and full of wonder. “That smile... I missed it so much.”

My jaw tingled oddly, my tongue sliding against the sudden onslaught of saliva coating my teeth.

I pulled her even closer, my roughened touch gliding along the smoothness of her back. It used to feel so inappropriate, so shameful, but not now. Not with her.

Now, I reveled in the feeling of my mate’s body against my bare skin.

“I really want to kiss you,” I nearly groaned, feeling more heat rise to my face. It must have been obvious. The most obvious thing in the entire ocean. “Would it… be all right?”

A delightful giggle slipped out of her. “Gosh, Kai, how are you so cute?” She tilted her head back, bringing her lips closer to mine.

Me, cute? No, no, she was the cute one. And those lips… So full and inviting. I couldn’t imagine anything better than tasting them.

“You don’t have to ask me,” she whispered, her shy smile revealing glimpses of pearly teeth.

Oh, boy . It was enough to make me feel lightheaded. A deep ache stirred inside me, a feeling only she could evoke.

I leaned in, our mouths meeting, and it took all my control to keep my lips pressed together, neat and restrained, resisting the ferocious gnash of teeth that the ache inside me craved.

But the moment her lips parted over mine, and I felt the slight graze of a tooth on my lower lip, something inside me burst.

With a low moan, my hand moved to thread through her hair, the other finding her hip, pulling her higher onto my lap.

Her hands landed on my chest, and I didn’t even flinch. My mouth opened for her, allowing a taste of the hunger I’d suppressed to finally surface, and she reveled in it. In me .

Kissing her had always reminded me of my first breath above water—the overwhelming sensation of losing myself, being swept away as that first rush of air filled my lungs, turning my dull world suddenly bright and alive.

She nipped my lip, and my claspers twitched, the muscles around them involuntarily contracting. I aimed for a playful bite in return, but she was quicker, pulling away just in time.

“Did that part of you just… move?” Her eyes were wide with curiosity.

“Yeah,” I said, surprised by how low and husky my voice had become. “They do that.”

She looked a little stunned as I moved in to nuzzle her neck. Gosh . She smelled so good . My tongue acted on its own, slashing a trail along her skin, following the curve of the necklace adorning her neck.

This was all I’d ever wanted. Holding her, touching her. My senses took over, my mind going completely blank.

The soft sound of her groans filled the cave as I moved to her shoulder blades, licking them, kissing them, the occasional slide of a tooth making her gasp. “ Kai. ”

I broke away, needing to look at her face to see if the same thoughts consumed her as they did me.

Her cheeks were stained the most beautiful shade of pink. Was it… desire?

She reached up, caressing the side of my cheek, bringing my swollen lips back to hers.

Whatever she wants . We kissed again, and there was no restraint now, no hesitation. Our mouths moved together, desperate, starved for the time we’d lost.

Her nails grazed my chest, and it was the sweetest sting imaginable. She took one of my hands, guiding it to her chest. Then her ocean silks fell away.

Whoa.

I cupped her fully, my mouth moving on its own again, allowing my brain to focus on the feeling of her bare breast in my palm.

She was amazing.

Her skin felt refreshingly cool to the touch as my fingers traced along it, her back arching into me as I explored every forbidden curve and slope. Then my thumb grazed a pebbled nipple, and my mouth reacted like it had been the one to find it. I wanted nothing more than to close my lips around that hardened peak. To feel it against my teeth, my tongue. Just one bite…

With that thought, my teeth sank into her lower lip, and an explosion happened between us. A burst of magic zapped me square in the chest, just hard enough to startle me back.

Claira’s mouth dropped open.

“Whoa,” I wheezed, rubbing the sore spot on my chest. Had I bitten her too hard? If I had, I didn’t mean to. Sometimes, my mouth had a mind of its own. “What was that? Sorry, d-did I bite too hard?”

The magic that hit me hadn’t been strong, and aside from a few dark spots in my vision, I wasn’t sure if I was even hurt.

“It—it—it wasn’t me!” Her eyes were filled with horror, one hand clenching tightly around the necklace hanging at her throat.

Then her fingers started fumbling with the chain, twisting it as though she was desperate to rip it off. “It has a spell inside it,” she said, rushing to free it from her neck.

The necklace did? Now that she had it off, her movements were even more hurried, her gaze darting frantically around the cave. “Help me find somewhere safe to put it so we can keep going.”

Wait— she wanted to keep going?

“Somewhere safe?” I echoed, though my thoughts weren’t on the necklace. I was more worried about her. “Did I hurt you?” I asked again as she stretched to wind the chain around a red coral sitting on a nearby ledge. “My mouth, it just—” I hesitated, knowing that was no excuse. “I’m so sorry.”

As soon as the necklace was secured, she pivoted, leaning back against my chest. “Kai, you didn’t hurt me,” she scoffed, her palms spreading over my bare skin. I could definitely get used to having her close like this. “Not in any way I didn’t enjoy, at least.” She leaned in, pressing her lips against mine for a quick, playful kiss.

And then she nipped me, and the slight pinch sent my heart into a wild rhythm.

“I adore your mouth,” she said, her voice low and deliberate, each word stretching out.

How had I gotten so lucky? My brothers would have definitely had something to say about it. They’d always talked about how mermaids didn’t enjoy biting or mouthing. To them, it was aggressive behavior, and as mermen, it was our job to keep those urges in check.

Easier said than done, and it wasn’t like I’d ever had any practice with it.

Yet here Claira was, telling me how much she adored my mouth. Not only that, she was even mouthing back .

Maybe my brothers were wrong—maybe they hadn’t ever experienced this level of connection before.

Maybe they’d never been in love.