Page 9

Grandfather’s beach house was bright, clean, and larger than Narsus expected. It was surprisingly cozy and modern. Whitewashed shiplap planks made up the walls and A-framed ceiling.

The family room hosted fluffy area rugs and three sturdy chairs arranged around a low table. A lit candelabra hung from above, as if they’d been expected. Magic, probably. Set off when they walked in.

Cinder breezed into the room with an armload of blankets. “Bree picked the open ocean-side room,” he reported. “So that means I get the master with the cozy fireplace. Here are your blankets for the couch.”

Narsus took another hurried look around. “There’s no couch. You’ll be sleeping in the fireplace, like always, so Bree can take the bed in your room. I’ll take his.”

“No.” Cinder crossed his arms. “Not happening. The bed in the master suite faces the window. That view’s too lovely to give up. Besides, I’m not sharing a room with you. So you’re sleeping out here on the floor. Or you’re welcome to try and sleep in a chair.”

Narsus took a closer look at one of the chairs. What he saw made him cringe.

“What? Why do you have that look on your face? ”

Narsus pointed to said chair while looking around, half-expecting a stranger to emerge from somewhere else in the house.

Leaning over to look, Cinder sent him a glance askance. “Why are you showing me Calico’s naked butt-indents? The fabric pattern is lovely, though.”

“That’s not Calico’s bare ass indents. My grandfather wouldn’t be caught dead naked. They obviously belong to someone else.”

Cinder’s carefree shrugs annoyed him. “I won’t tell Calico about the ball-sweat chair if you don’t.”

Narsus closed his eyes and counted to three. “We’ll have it cleaned—the house professionally cleaned before we leave. Or else he’ll blame it on one of us and I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Long swims usually cleared the cobwebs from Lune’s mind.

But he always felt dizzy and nauseous if he tried to venture beyond the depths of a ten minute dive.

Heading back toward the surface always eased the pressure.

So he often spent his days loitering around the reef.

Water predators usually left him alone now that he was full grown.

Guh. Water predators. Sharks. Time to get dry land under his toes.

The few fish Lune had collected would help supplement and stretch his week’s allowance.

It would have to do. Despite Calico going out of his way to fix elaborate sea-fare spreads, just for him, Lune hated seafood.

He’d rather eat what Calico ate. Sugary desserts.

Lots of fruits and vegetables with the occasional pork and beef.

Hitting the beach was always like a blast of air directly into his face. More so now that he coughed up the water that had slipped into his lungs. His skin tingled as it began to dry out and his gills sealed shut against his neck. It always took a second to get his equilibrium back.

Tilting his head and tapping the water out of his ears, he stopped in his tracks. The waves lapping against the shore curled around his ankles and rhythmically pounded against his butt.

It was as if the waves mimicked his thoughts when Lune locked eyes with the most gorgeous hunk of male he’d ever seen. Correction: A very fit and naked male. Who lounged on a beach towel completely without clothing. Did Lune say the man was sans clothing?

Why was there a naked man on Calico’s beach?

Er, his beach now.

While Lune was working up the courage to say hello, another thought crossed his mind. What if Calico had come back? With husband Agustin in tow?

No, Calico would’ve called out to him the instant he emerged from the water. Or sent out a telepathic greeting when he and said party arrived. His father would not lounge around naked, or permit others to do so.

Lune glanced further up the beach. There were two others with this stranger, but to Lune, they blurred and merged with the sandy beach. Because he only had eyes for the one closest to him.

Wait. No. These were trespassers. On his beach. On his property. But Lune was too busy soaking up the vision before him.

The naked man had shiny and dark iridescent green feathers scattered around his body. There was a nest of those gleaming feathers at his nether regions. Lune blinked, immediately lifting his gaze from the rather impressive… snake …that rested there .

Lune felt the blush rising in his cheeks. Great gods, what was wrong with him that he couldn’t even think the word penis without getting flustered? He’d absorbed too much of Calico’s fussy and modest lifestyle.

It was at that moment Lune realized he, too, was naked.

He forced himself not to shield his privates.

What must he look like slogging out of the surf like some exhausted sea monster beaching himself to die?

He knew he shouldn’t have stayed under so long, but it was half self-punishment and half-testing the depths he could go.

Really, the only thing that had expelled him from his swim was the pressure of the ocean, and the shark flashback.

His excitement over this mysterious stranger suddenly made his stomach sink. Because the compass he’d secured around his wrist began to glow.

Oh, fuck, really? This was the jerk who couldn’t even be bothered to come to the altar? Now he was trespassing!

Lune had to act cool. Aloof. Turn the tables. Act as disinterested and annoyed as Narsus had when they first met. And maybe even gross him out. So Lune advanced with purpose. Locking eyes with Narsus, he slowly took a big bite out of the dead fish impaled on his spear.

The scales and raw flesh mulched around in his mouth, and Lune tried to ignore the slimy sensation.

Chewing slowly, he was gagging inside and hoped it wasn’t showing on his face.

Despite being a siren, having raw fish and scales stuck between his teeth was even more disgusting than the baked fish Calico often prepared.

But he’d be damned if his escaped groom could lounge on his property looking all attractive with slim muscles all glistening in the sun.

Narsus held his breath and nearly splashed himself with his iced tea. His Compass-husband rose from the ocean like a god. A fierce and displeased ocean god. Naked as the day of his birth.

Narsus knew it was Lune. Felt it not just deep in his bones, but in his heart. He was glad he was sitting down, thus covering up the glowing, tingly Compass-mark on his ass cheek.

Lune’s straw-colored hair molded against his cheeks and shoulders, highlighting the planes and angles of his heart-shaped face.

Showcasing the deep, glittering, rich ambers and browns of his candidly angry and fiery eyes.

His Intended’s flat belly was rock hard.

Chiseled. As if he worked those stomach muscles for hours each day.

Perhaps he had, as it seemed the ocean was intimate to him.

Narsus dropped his gaze lower. There was no shrinkage from the cool waters. Which meant he did have some sort of Mer in his blood. There was also a bit of rise in that dick as they stared at each other.

Lune huffed at him. A signal he’d been caught staring.

Narsus lifted his eyes to encounter disdain and irritation.

Embarrassment heated Narsus’s face. He deserved that.

Brightside and Cinder were right. He’d reacted harshly.

Because he’d been afraid of hurting his Compass-mate.

Still not yet ready to trust himself with his own poisonous abilities, despite centuries of practice.

Too wrapped up inside his own fears.

Fears that included this being yet another Compass-glitch.

And mostly, he didn’t know if he could deal with being hurt again.

This meeting, this second chance… Was it truly a sign that Lune was his fated mate? Was this the magic of the compass—Lune’s compass—drawing them back together ?

It would’ve been easier if Lune was a phoenix—but even then there’d be a repeat of his original contemplations—and the same questions about his poisons and their physical compatibility.

Maybe it was time to try and make amends. To see if this was a true, genuine Compass-match after all. Was he strong enough to take the chance?

Lune wouldn’t have any of this nonsense. Why, how was this jerk even here? On HIS beach, lounging in front of HIS house? Perhaps the compass had led the way here—if Narsus even had it to begin with.

Maybe the jerk was sorry and wanted to make amends. As soon as that crossed his mind, Lune scoffed inwardly. Laying naked on a beach wasn’t the way to apologize, and it certainly didn’t appear that was what his Intended wanted to do. In fact, Narsus’s behavior was taunting and haughty.

It was a surprise to view him in the altogether. He wasn’t as scary and intimidating without his mask, hat, and cape. In fact, Lune was getting the impression of someone defiantly vulnerable. If that was such a thing.

Lune suddenly snapped himself out of the sympathetic lure.

So what if those thick, flat eyebrows framed those wary, dark green eyes in shadows.

That piercing gaze still cut through him with disdain and judgment.

Although, it was softened by the windswept green hair hiding round ears that stuck out slightly.

Those sharp features stood out and faintly glowed on a very pale, but not quite sickly complexion.

The square jaw highlighting those hallowed, clean-shaven cheekbones made Lune think of the undead.

Especially paired with the thinness of his form.

But he couldn’t be sure. Especially since Narsus was airing everything out and distracting him.

Lune knew he couldn’t show weakness. So feigning indifference, and with his stomach muscles clenching, he brought the speared fish back to his mouth. He forced another bite and chewed, staring his Compass-husband in the eyes. And radiating the full dare me energy that was rushing through his veins.

The sound of a book suddenly slammed shut and that elf—Brightside gasped. “Lune? That is you.”

“Oh, by the gods, this is fate!” The bubbly cry and energy came from another phoenix-in-human-form who sat next to Brightside.

Little orange flames framed his face at the hairline.

When the phoenix ran his hands through his curls, the flames elongated from the downward pressure, then sprang back into tiny embers.

“Narsus, he’s adorable! Hello Lune, my name is Cinder, of the Cottage phoenix forge. I’m Bree’s housekeeper.”

“We’re all friends,” Brightside corrected, watching a stoic Narsus. “Although Cinder is fairly obsessed with a domestic role. Lune, so I take it this means you’re a local to this island?”

“I am.” Lune strove for calm and neutrality. “You’re actually all loitering on my property, and apparently, in my house.”

“This is my grandfather’s property,” Narsus claimed flatly while reaching for his hat and cloak.

Grandfather? “I grew up here,” Lune snapped back. It was one thing to act aloof, but now his home was being threatened. “This beach house and the beach front is mine now. Calico filed the deed several days ago.”

Brightside’s brows shot up. “You know Calico?”

“Calico’s my foster father,” Lune clarified with pride, his glare pinned on Narsus. “He raised me from a stray egg that washed ashore. Would you mind getting your big feet out of my nursery tide pool?”

Narsus stared him down as he slowly complied.

“The sun’s setting,” Cinder cut in. “Why don’t we all head inside and talk about this over hot tea and think about dinner? Oh, um,” he hurried. “With your permission, Lune?”

Lune considered a course of action. “There’s no food in the house. Calico gave it all away to the townsfolk before I left for the marriage temple.” Narsus avoided his returned stare at that point. “Calico’s not here. He retired. To the world his husband lives in, apparently.”

“That’s unfortunate we missed him.” Brightside shook the sand off his beach towel. “We’ll have to go into town for a meal, then. Narsus’s treat. Please do join us, Lune. We’ll do the marketing in the morning. ”

“In the morning? No, no thank you for the dinner invite. No, you can’t stay here,” Lune protested.

“But it’s late,” Narsus cut in.

“I’m aware of the day and night cycles,” Lune bit back, then realized just how late it really was.

His jaw tightened as he remembered his manners.

Thanks, Cal, he thought with sarcasm. Thanks loads for giving me a conscience.

Cal would never turn someone out, and would be very disappointed in him if he did so.

But then Cal was smart enough to never be in the position to have to accommodate guests. Invited or uninvited.

“Yes, I know it’s late,” Lune said. “The inns are closed, and you missed the last boat off the island. Fine. You can all stay. But just for tonight.”

It was at this time Lune remembered he’d been standing here, exposed.

Without another word, he just hurried into the house and made a beeline into the master bedroom.

He eyed the rucksack on the bed and frowned as he buttoned up a pair of trousers.

As soon as he’d done that, there was a timid knock at the door.

It was Cinder. “I apologize. I had no idea this was your room. I’ll bunk with Bree. May I retrieve my bag?”

Lune stepped aside and Cinder hurriedly claimed it. The thought of where Narsus was going to sleep shouldn’t concern him. He was asking before he could stop himself. “If you and Brightside are in the second bedroom—”

“Oh, we already decided he’s got the ‘couch’.” Cinder chuckled and left with a wink.

Lune grinned. Maybe sleeping on the cold tile floor would give his Compass-husband an attitude adjustment.