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M aelstrom Marino stared down into Echo’s bright blue eyes, pleased to finally get the up-close and personal he’d been craving for weeks. After watching the little dolphin shifter from afar, he’d begun to develop a bit of an obsession. If Echo hadn’t finally crossed their barrier and given him the opportunity to swim in and save the day, he would’ve had to find another means to get close.

Panic shone in Echo’s eyes. “I don’t know you.”

Mael leaned down closer, sensing Echo knew exactly who he was. But then, maybe the little guy hadn’t seen his eyes well enough. Orcas shifters had black irises rimmed with a thin circle and dot of white near the outer edge, so it was hard to hide who and what he was from most other shifters.

The second Echo gasped, Mael’s lips curled into a pleased smile.

Echo drew in a shuddered breath, his pretty, pink lips parted as if awaiting a kiss. Mael stared at them, mouth watering. He could feel Echo shaking against his arm and thighs. Was that fear?

Or was it something else?

“What are you doing here?” Echo asked, his low tenor hard to hear over the next performer on stage.

Mael leaned in even closer, catching Echo’s scent. My god, he smells sweet enough to taste. He clenched his jaw, trying to maintain control. His priority wasn’t getting the guy into bed. That would come after. “I have questions that you’re going to answer.”

Echo’s lower lip quivered. He looked up through his long lashes, much too pretty for his own good. “How do you know my name?”

“That’s not important.”

After finding a dolphin shifter near orca waters, Mael had done his due diligence. As sheriff of Maki Island, the safety of his pod was his responsibility. He’d gotten the basic info—like name, age, and address—but not a whole lot more. Echo had no criminal record, not even a speeding ticket. He was well educated and held a doctorate—and worked as a scientist at a Dolphin Bay lab working with NOAA.

It wasn’t enough.

When it came to Echo Fisher, Mael wanted to know everything .

His gut told him Echo posed no danger to his pod or their waters, but he couldn’t count it out, either. Not without learning the truth behind why Echo had been out there. What had been so alluring to bring a man—who appeared to be a fine, upstanding citizen—to the point he'd break the treaty and threaten both their pods?

Echo’s eyes widened. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Says the little dolphin who crossed the line first,” Mael murmured. The treaty covered the waters, not the land. By law, he had every right to be there.

“People will see you,” Echo snapped. He glanced down the hallway, almost as if he hoped someone would swoop in and save him.

The only hero Echo was getting was Mael.

“Ashamed to be seen with me?”

Echo’s gaze flicked to his. “You being here will raise questions.”

“You should’ve thought about that.”

“The treaty…”

“Oh, you didn’t care much about that last night, now did you?” Mael asked. “I want to know what you were doing out there.”

Echo’s mouth moved, but no sound came out.

Mael watched those lips, starving for a taste. The first night he’d noticed Echo’s boat, he’d swam close to the boundary with plans to scare the guy into moving out. Then he’d caught sight of the gorgeous little dolphin on board, and he’d stopped dead in his tracks. Violent need had slammed into him. Need he’d viciously fought against.

No way was he attracted to a dolphin, especially one from Dolphin Bay.

While it wasn’t expressly against their laws to mix with dolphins, every member of their pod knew it was considered forbidden. Echo was the temptation that urged him to do the unthinkable.

When he’d later realized Echo might not be who he assumed, that brought up other questions he’d never seen coming. He’d returned home that first night ignoring the raw, aching need screaming in his veins and fell exhausted into bed. Sometime in the night he’d ended up dreaming of Echo writhing naked under him. Mael’s orgasm had awoken him in the early gray morning hours and left him feeling shamed in the aftermath, tangled in wet, sticky sheets like he was twelve years old again.

Denial had lingered even after that, but as the weeks passed, filled with more haunting, sensual dreams of Echo, he’d finally accepted he had a hard-on for a dolphin shifter.

A male dolphin shifter.

Although, he didn’t know Echo’s gender. From the digging he’d done, all signs pointed to male, but looking at Echo, he wasn’t completely sure.

The bottlenose breed was known for their attractiveness in both human and marine forms, regardless of gender or class. Echo was a step beyond that, though, in his opinion. From his lightly muscled, willowy build to his soft, rounded face, he gave off strong feminine energy. Mael searched that gorgeous face once more, gaze tracing over those pink, pouty lips, his small, upturned nose, and up to his large, glacial blue eyes with full, heavy lashes.

He was even more beautiful close up.

No wonder Mael hadn’t been able to swim away that first night. He’d hovered near, watching from just under the surface, trying to figure out what Echo was doing. It had been a whole lot of nothing.

Yet Echo had returned the next night, and the next. He’d sat out there for nearly three weeks as far as Mael knew, right on the line—but never crossing it. That had driven Mael to distraction. The dolphin just sat there, watching their waters, but for what reason?

Mael slid a hand to the back of Echo’s head and drew the tie holding his soft, light brown waves in a ponytail off. He slid his fingers through the silky strands, the light above them casting a golden hue. He leaned closer and rubbed his cheek against the side of Echo’s head, inhaling the clean, jasmine scent.

When he pulled back to gaze down at Echo, the dolphin’s eyes were large and round. The fear was still shining in the depths, but there was desire swimming in there, too. Mael’s gaze fell on those soft, pink lips again. Did he taste as good as he smelled?

“What… what are you doing?” Echo asked, his voice barely above a whisper over the music.

Mael froze. He didn’t remember moving, but his lips were inches from Echo’s. He lowered his head a bit more, inching even closer. Those blue eyes went wide, and Echo inhaled deep, appearing ready for whatever came next.

When he caught the scent of Echo’s slick, he growled deep in his throat. He was already damned near losing control as it was. He didn’t need Echo’s lust to send him spiraling over the edge before he got the answers he sought. Mael hardened, his groin pressed against Echo’s belly, more than prepared to sate the omega’s need.

Let the little dolphin know. Mael wasn’t ashamed of his desire.

Echo’s breath came in short gasps. Mael leaned in and rubbed his nose against Echo’s, inhaling the omega’s scent again. “You smell… delicious.”

“Is that…” Echo shivered. “Is that a threat?”

Mael leaned back and looked down at Echo. “Do you want it to be?”

Echo didn’t reply, but the deepening scent of slick was answer enough.

“Oh, I think you do,” Mael whispered, leaning close again. He inched his lips closer to Echo’s, ready for that taste.

Echo lifted his chin, seeming to invite the kiss coming his way.

Mael was a breath away from claiming it when he heard a man ask, “What the fuck is going on?”

He looked over his shoulder, pissed to have been interrupted. Even more pissed when he found Echo’s friend glaring up at him. “We’re talking. And you’re interrupting us.”

Echo’s friend whipped his gaze past Mael. “Is this guy bothering you?”

Mael turned his focus on Echo to await an answer.

Echo held his gaze, appearing unsure. He closed his eyes and gave a quick shake to his head before focusing on his friend. “I’m fine.”

“I don’t think you are,” Echo’s friend said.

“Diego…” Echo said, a hint of warning in his tone.

Instead of starting a fight—which would draw unwanted attention—Mael stepped back from Echo. He wasn’t happy he’d been forced to do it, either. Facing Diego, he gave a disingenuous smile. “Echo and I are old friends. We were together last night, in fact.”

Diego’s gaze whipped to Echo’s before he looked up at Mael. “I seriously doubt that.”

Mael chuckled. “Ask him yourself.” He spun to face Echo, leaning in close again. “This isn’t over.”

He grinned at the mixture of anticipation and dread swirling in Echo’s gaze and decided then and there to find more privacy for their next encounter. After giving Diego another glare, he walked out of the back door of the bar and into the alleyway. Pausing a few feet down, he adjusted his jeans to give himself a little relief before heading toward his motorcycle parked in the shadows.

There was no way he was waiting long. He’d caught scent of his prey.

The hunt was on.

* * *

“What the hell is going on?” Diego demanded, his brows drawn tight. “You were with an orca last night?”

Echo closed his eyes, attempting to steady his breathing. When he opened them, all he could see was Diego’s disappointment in him. “It’s better that I didn’t tell you.”

“Is he the top-secret project you’ve been doing? Fucking an orca isn’t smart, Echo.”

Echo lifted a hand to his chest, willing the rapid beating under his fingers to slow. “Who said anything about fucking him? Just to be clear, I didn’t.”

I might have if you hadn’t interfered.

That thought had Echo reeling.

“It sure didn’t look innocent when I rounded the corner,” Diego said.

Echo avoided Diego’s angry stare.

“It looked like he was about to… devour you,” Diego continued.

The hungry look in the orca’s eyes was still burned into his brain. Something told Echo that he wanted to be devoured, at least by that specific orca.

“Did you invite him here?”

“No!” Echo barked, his gaze darting to Diego’s. “Of course not. I told him he couldn’t be here.”

“Oh, it really looked like you were pushing him away hard.”

“I owe you no explanations,” Echo snapped. He propelled himself off the wall he’d clung to while trying to calm his shaken nerves. After storming through the bar, he shoved the front door open. The cool night air washed over his face, which he welcomed. He paused at the curb and drew in a long, slow breath.

And couldn’t stop shaking.

He hated that he’d barked at Diego, but he was out of sorts and not in the mood to be questioned when he had no idea up from down.

The door opened again, music and laughter pouring out of it until it closed. Diego sidled up beside him.

“No, you don’t owe me any explanations. But I find you in the arms of the enemy and I’m not supposed to be concerned for your wellbeing?”

“Your concern is noted,” Echo said without looking at Diego.

“Echo? I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I can handle this.” Could he? Echo knew he was lying to the both of them if he said he could. He was a wreck after a few minutes in the orca’s presence. There was no way he was handling that man.

“One omega dolphin against a homicidal sea panda? An alpha one, at that? You’re in over your head.”

Echo turned to glare at Diego. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Diego’s face fell. “He’s a predator, Echo. A hunter. He was bred to kill. It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable, it’s that I sense he’s just that dangerous. I care about you, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Guilt slammed into Echo. He knew Diego came from a place of love and concern, but he wasn’t in the mood to be questioned. Plus, the less Diego knew, the better.

“Just… let it go,” Echo muttered before he turned away.

He stalked down the street, headed for his car.

“Echo…” Diego called after him. “I’m allowed to be worried about you!”

Tears burned at the backs of Echo’s eyes. He wanted nothing more than to confide in Diego and spill it all, but damn that plausible deniability. Though, some of that was lost with the appearance of his orca savior in the middle of town. How many other dolphins had seen? He supposed he’d find out soon enough. If someone reported it to the council, he might be called before them to explain what was going on.

What would he even say?

He might have less than twenty-four hours to come up with a story. Did he tell them the truth or lie to get out of trouble? Lying wasn’t his forte. He’d been told he sucked at it—but the truth could get him in mounds of trouble with the pod. Not just his pod, but the orca one as well. He crossed the street to his car, his mind racing as he sought a solution.

A solution wouldn’t come—particularly because his mind kept coming back to the orca. That wasn’t a solution. It was a problem.

He slipped behind the wheel. Once the door was locked behind him, he wrapped his fingers around the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. Visions of the orca pinning him against that wall replayed in his mind. He’d sensed a kiss coming and would never admit to anyone that he’d wanted it.

Diego just had to show up and ruin the moment.

Was that why he was angry? Because he was irritated about being cockblocked? Shame washed over him at the thought. Diego was simply being an overprotective friend. He released his tight grip on the steering wheel and started the engine with every intention of calling Diego in the morning to apologize. After a deep breath, he pulled away and headed toward home.

Fifteen minutes later, he walked through his front door and tossed his keys into the upturned shell on the console table and lowered his backpack to the floor beside it. The house was dark. He hadn’t planned to go out after work, so he’d neglected to leave a light on. He flipped on a lamp near the door and sorted through the small stack of mail he’d brought in from the mailbox. His cat, Tilly, made an appearance, curling her body around his leg and yowling with displeasure.

“What is it, girl?” he asked, leaning over to rub her head between the ears. “I filled your bowls before I left this morning, so I know you’re not starving.”

Tilly yowled again, moving in a figure-eight pattern around his ankles.

Echo dropped his mail on the table and lifted her into his arms. After checking her bowls and finding some kibble and plenty of water, he shook his head. “Just because you can see the bottom of your food bowl doesn’t mean it’s empty.” He lowered her to the floor and shook the bowl, forming a thin layer of food. “See?”

The house creaked, and Tilly took off like a jet, wailing as she found a hiding space. His house was nearing a hundred and twenty-five years old, one of the oldest on the Washington Coast. It settled and groaned all the time, but it still unnerved him a year after purchasing it. Considering his nerves were already rattled, it didn’t take much to push him back near panic mode. He froze, listening for more sounds.

Silence surrounded him, but the fine hairs on the back of his neck rose. He was sure he was probably alone, and it was just lingering anxiety, but it couldn’t hurt to check. To ensure there were no uninvited guests, Echo moved from room to room, flipping on lights and checking behind drapes. Once the downstairs was cleared, he slowly marched up, treading lightly to not alert an intruder to his presence. Too bad the old house wasn’t keeping any of his secrets. Each tread groaned in various volumes under his steps. If there was someone in the house, they knew exactly where he was.

He checked the first door he came to, the spare bedroom. It was empty, so he moved on, telling himself he was being an absolute idiot, and he’d probably find no one in his bedroom either.

He was dead wrong, though.

A hint of light spread out under his bedroom door. Echo brushed his hand against the door already cracked open an inch. The orca sat in the old leather armchair that normally held his discarded clothing, the closet light the only source of illumination. The predator had turned the chair to face the door so he was the first thing Echo would see. He sat with his legs splayed wide, his elbows on the arms with his fingers steepled, looking much too comfortable in Echo’s bedroom.

Echo drew in a shaky breath, both terror and anticipation flashing through him in equal measure.

“Ready to answer my questions now?”

Echo took another breath, hoping to steel his nerves, but that only made it worse. The hint of expensive leather, woodsy cologne, and a purely masculine scent filled his nose again and set his blood racing. He took another couple of steps, praying his knees didn’t give out, and turned on the lamp beside his bed. It spread soft light around the bedroom, giving Echo a clearer view.

“We’re adding breaking and entering to your list of crimes now?” Echo asked, his voice shaking. Hopefully the orca hadn’t heard it.

For his own self-preservation, Echo gave a gentle pat against his pants pocket for his phone. The first was empty. So was the second. He’d come up with no phone? It was probably in his backpack. Great. “How did you know where I lived? Have you been stalking me?”

“I am a predator, am I not?” His lips spread wide in a menacing grin, opening his hands apart. “Stalking is what we do.”

He dropped those massive hands to his thighs, drawing Echo’s attention to his overwhelming size. It wasn’t just his body that took up a lot of space. The threat he posed caused Echo’s heart to race even more.

Was it only the threat, though?

Echo didn’t think he was in any actual physical danger, although that was debatable considering the look in the man’s dark, hooded eyes. The variety of danger he saw there was the kind Echo had always craved but been too shy to seek out. He’d had the chance a few times when he was away at school, but he’d always ended up running and hiding like an idiot.

There was nowhere to hide from the orca.

Echo held the man’s rabid gaze, unable to look away. Even black, those eyes were expressive in a way Echo couldn’t fathom.

He was mesmerizing.

I want to look into those eyes when he fucks me.

Heat burned Echo’s cheeks. How could he be both terrified and horny at the same time? It made no sense.

The orca rose and slowly stalked across the bedroom, gaze pinning Echo to the spot. The flight response screamed inside Echo’s mind, but he held his ground. As the man neared, the idea of running grew ever more enticing, though. Not to get away… but for the thrill of the chase. He knew the orca would hunt him down, and the imagined punishment for that took his breath away.

“Don’t,” the orca warned, as if he sensed what Echo planned to do.

The warning broke the spell holding him in place. Echo spun and raced out of his bedroom and down the stairs. He only made it halfway before he was lifted off his feet, one powerful, muscular arm wrapping around his arms and chest.

“I told you not to do that,” the man breathed hotly against his ear. “You know there’s no getting away from me.”

Echo’s eyes closed of their own accord. His body trembled in the man’s arms. If asked, he’d lie and say it was fear and nothing more.

The orca lifted his free hand and lightly glided two fingers along Echo’s jaw. He sighed at the tender touch, only to have that hand wrap around his throat seconds later. Panic set in… and he held his breath, lungs burning.

He dragged in a gasping breath, realizing that hand wasn’t holding him as tight as it could.

“You will answer my questions, little dolphin,” the orca whispered against his ear. “Even if I have to make it hurt to get them out of that sweet mouth of yours.”

A violent shudder wracked Echo’s body.

“Oh, I think you like the sound of that,” the orca whispered, a thread of humor in his deep voice.

“I don’t want you to hurt me,” Echo murmured. Rough, sure, but he wasn’t into real pain.

Echo’s feet dangled above the stairs, the orca holding him aloft as if he weighed nothing. If the man let go, he’d fall down to the bottom and possibly break his neck. One little push and he’d be no more. He pointed his foot, seeking the floor but couldn’t find it.

“I think you do ,” the orca whispered. “I can make you burn for me, pepi.”

Echo’s eyes fluttered closed again, fighting off a moan. He felt a bead of slick slide from his hole and hoped it wasn’t noticed.

That was a lie, though. Deep down, he hoped the orca could scent how turned on he was.

The man spun unexpectedly and marched back to Echo’s bedroom. Seconds later, he was unceremoniously dumped into the middle of his bed. He scrambled to his hands and knees, ready to take off again if need be.

“I warned you once,” the man said, peeling off his leather jacket. He tossed it toward the empty chair without looking to see where it landed. “Do that again and you won’t like what happens next.”

“Oh?” Echo envisioned himself pinned under the orca, and a shiver raced down his spine. Don’t threaten me with a good time.

The orca grinned wickedly, reaching for his belt. He unhooked it, and as he was sliding it out of the loops of his jeans, he said, “Try it and find out.”

He folded the belt in his hand and tested it, smacking the leather against his palm.

Echo jolted, another shudder threatening his equilibrium.

The next few seconds was a standoff of sorts. Him waiting for the orca to pounce. The orca anticipating him to bolt. His heart thundered in his chest. Slick spread between his cheeks, dripping down the backs of his legs.

The orca’s nostrils flared. He had to scent Echo’s slick in the small bedroom. That realization both excited and embarrassed him.

“I have every right to demand why you were in our territory without permission. If my people are in danger then I?—”

“Danger? A whole pod of homicidal sea pandas in danger? From me?” Echo chuckled, shaking his head. “Come on. We both know why you’re really asking. You want to know what I was looking for.”

“Whatever you were looking for could be the danger.”

“I hate to tell you this, but I was simply charting the sea floor in that area, checking for any environmental changes. I work with NOAA to monitor coastal waters. Ours… and yours.”

The orca’s eyes narrowed, skeptical.

“You can check my credentials. They’re downstairs in my backpack.” Echo slowly lifted his upper body from the crouch he’d been hovering in. “We can both go down, and I’ll show you.”

“I know where you work.”

Echo frowned. “And how do you know that?”

Ignoring the question, the orca pressed on. “If you were really charting the sea floor, there would’ve been no problem with submitting a request for approval—which we both know we would’ve likely given. Instead, you slipped past the boundary near midnight, when you thought no one would be around. Luckily for both of us, I was around.”

Echo inwardly winced and hoped he hadn’t shown it in his expression.

The orca marched forward, his muscled thighs against the end of the bed. “What were you doing?”

“It was nothing of import.”

“Bullshit!”

Echo frowned at the hint of anger in the orca’s tone, making him doubt his safety for the first time. Had he gotten it all wrong? Had he mislabeled the orca’s rage as desire?

“We both know you were up to something, and it was likely no good,” the orca said.

When the man moved toward the side of the bed nearest Echo, he crawled backward to the other side—which was a mistake. He was trapped in the back corner of the bedroom. Unless he considered taking a flying leap out a window, but then, he’d have to get it open first.

Damn him for not replacing those old windows years ago. Before he could get one open, he'd be caught.

“I know dolphins can jump pretty high, but I promise you, solid land isn’t as forgiving as water.”

Echo’s gaze whipped to the orca’s. How did he seem to know what was going through Echo’s mind?

“How’s the foot?” the orca asked, his voice low. “I’m sure it’s mostly healed, but do you think it could take a ten-foot drop?”

Echo thrust his chin higher and crossed his arms over his chest. “You planning to toss me out a window?”

“Don’t pretend you weren’t scoping out your escape routes.” The orca’s knowing grin slowly spread wide. “Prey always plots an escape when I’m around.”

“Calling me prey implies I’m in danger. Am I?”

The orca tilted his head, staring a hole through Echo. “If I wanted you harmed, I would’ve allowed those sharks to do as they wished.”

The reminder of the shark attack caused another shudder to sweep through Echo. Not necessarily the attack so much as the orca’s easy slaughter of a great white. It would’ve been nothing to kill Echo and be done with it. The chase had simply been sport. A bit of fun.

“I saved you last night,” the orca continued, rounding the bed. “I think that alone should afford me a little honesty.” He stopped beside the bed, near the end, facing Echo. “I just want to know what was so important that you were willing to start another war between our people.”

“I don’t want a war,” Echo said, his voice low. He let out a slow breath. “I mean no harm to your pod. I swear.”

“That’s not enough,” the man said. “What were you doing out there?”

Echo couldn’t trust an orca with his secret.

The orca moved too damned fast. Echo was snatched and dragged closer with one arm. “What were you doing out there?”

Echo hesitated.

The belt cracked over his bottom, and he yelped, though it hadn’t been as hard as he’d expected. Surprised, Echo eyed the orca.

“Tell me,” the orca growled, his voice deeper and rougher.

Echo whimpered, shaking like a leaf. He couldn’t get his mouth and lips to work, his brain was on overload.

Another crack came over his ass. He didn’t yelp a second time. No, he moaned and arched against the predator holding him prisoner. Shame burned on his face. Echo couldn’t look at the man. He was too embarrassed.

The hand with the belt lifted to his face, and he winced. Only there was no blow. The man rubbed the back of his hand gently across Echo’s cheek.

“Tell me why you were out there,” he pressed, his voice gentle. He dropped the belt on the floor before running a hand over Echo’s stinging bottom.

“I just… I needed to prove something.”

The orca forced his chin up with a guided finger. “Prove what?”

“That my grandfather… wasn’t crazy.”

“Don’t talk in circles.” The orca sighed and lifted a brow. “I don’t have the patience tonight.”

Echo was terrified to share what he’d been doing, but he wasn’t getting out of trouble without coming clean. Hopefully speaking the truth wouldn’t turn out to be a mistake. What did it matter, though? He’d lost his chance. “My grandfather claimed there was something out there—relics from our pod’s origins. He said he’d seen them himself when he was younger. No one believed him, though. They called him a crackpot. I want to clear his name. Finding the relics might do that.”

The orca’s gaze took him in, eyes narrowing. “What kind of relics?”

Echo shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“If you don’t know what you’re looking for… how are you supposed to find them?”

“He claimed there’s a cave,” Echo said on a rush before he lost his nerve. “I was looking for the entrance he’d… he’d mapped out in his journals. I found them after he died.”

The orca released him and stepped back. After sitting on the arm of the chair, he crossed his massive arms over his equally massive chest. “We hunt that territory regularly in warmer seasons. I think we would’ve found a cave by now—if one existed.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Echo replied. He missed the man being closer, the idiot that he was. He stared at the belt a few seconds. “If it was made by dolphinkind, the entrance might be small. Too small to catch a larger creature’s notice. It might be filled in with sediment or buried under it. Hidden. It could take weeks, if not months, to find it.” He sighed, realizing his folly. There was no way he would’ve found it out there at night, on his own. “I was an idiot for thinking I could manage it myself in a night or two, but I guess I hoped the X marked on his map would lead me straight to it.”

“Scuba diving would make more sense,” the orca murmured, his gaze drifting toward the floor. “We wouldn’t need to come up for air as often.”

“We?”

The orca’s gaze jumped to his. “Do you really think I’d allow you to roam free in our waters after you snuck in? If you want to search, you’ll be accompanied by me.”

A glimmer of hope sparked in Echo’s chest, his skin prickling all over. A way in? Protected by one of their own?

Protected?

“How could I trust being out there with a predator? Do you actually think I’d go out there with you alone? I don’t even know your name,” Echo spat.

“Mael.”

Echo frowned. What an odd name. “Like… the opposite of female?”

“As in Maelstrom.”

Echo’s blood turned cold. A lump formed in his throat. “Maelstrom… Marino?”

“One in the same,” Mael replied, narrowing his eyes. “Heard of me, hmm?”

Everyone in Dolphin Bay knew the name Maelstrom Marino. Young dolphin parents used his name to keep their babies from swimming out too far—otherwise, Maelstrom might get them.

“None of it good, I’m afraid,” Echo replied, mouth dry.

He’d really stepped in it. Craving an orca was bad enough. Craving that orca? He clearly did have a death wish.

Mael chuckled, but there seemed no humor to it. “And just what have you heard, little dolphin?”

“That you’re evil. Sadistic. That you killed your own brother because he’d gotten too powerful and you were jealous,” Echo said.

A strange look washed over Mael’s face before he steeled his expression. “I won’t lie. I did kill my own brother—but not for that reason.”

“I can’t imagine any reason that could justify fratricide.”

In a flash, Echo was dragged into Mael’s arms, chest to chest. His feet dangled at least eight inches off the floor. Mael held him immobile with one arm, proven when a hand lifted to trace a finger over Echo’s cheek. “You don’t know me or my story, little one.”

Echo trembled in the embrace, sure he’d pushed his luck too far.

And he’d be punished for it.

So why did heat burn in his chest from Mael’s touch?

He was held by a murderer. One he’d witnessed killing with his own eyes. Echo shouldn’t want his touch or his kisses.

“Yet, for some reason, I want you to know me.” Mael traced his finger lower, riding the edge of Echo’s jawline, his gaze following it. When he stopped moving, his stare whipped to Echo’s. “And I want to know every inch of you, Echo Fisher. Inside and out.”