Page 9

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M ael drew Echo closer, deepening the kiss. Echo tasted of cinnamon and honey—and he was sure he’d soon grow addicted to the flavor. If he wasn’t already. He lowered both hands and gripped Echo’s bottom before lifting his little dolphin onto the kitchen counter, never breaking the kiss. Echo wrapped his arms around Mael's neck, drawing them closer. Mael wasn’t sure he’d ever be sated—the possessive drive to touch Echo was near constant. The need had been there from the start, from that first glimpse across the water.

How he’d held back, he didn’t know.

Once he’d had Echo in his arms, there was no going back.

Echo moaned as Maelstrom deepened the kiss. He swept his tongue across his little dolphin’s, reveling in the sensation. Mael had never been much of a kisser. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed it to some degree, but it had always felt like a requisite dance he needed to perform before he could get to the big show. A way to prime the pump. He did as much as he needed to please his partner and then got on with better things.

Kissing Echo wasn’t a chore. It felt just as intimate as the other things they’d done. Maybe it was because Echo was his mate, maybe not, but he suspected he could spend an entire day kissing his little omega and nothing else—and enjoy every second of it. He gathered both sides of Echo’s face in his hands, those kisses driving him wild.

Echo wrapped his legs around Mael’s hips, hinting he wanted more than kisses. Mael trailed a hand down and under the hem of his sweater. Gripping the base of Echo’s shaft, he groaned when he found it rock hard. He leaned back, breaking the kiss, just so he could watch Echo’s expression as he stroked the length. On each upward stroke, he rolled his thumb over the glans, collecting the pre-cum leaking there and using it to lube his hand.

Echo’s eyes rolled back in his head, a rasping moan erupting from his lips.

“Mael,” he whined, rocking his hips up to meet Mael’s fist.

“What do you need, pepi?”

Echo shivered against him. “Atu… uaua ake.”

More… harder.

Mael grinned inwardly. Delphinidae shifters, from orca to the many breeds of dolphin, had all originated in the South Pacific eons ago. His grandfather and countless ancestors had been Māori, specifically. Family was everything to orca, their pod was only family members, some more distant than others. Their traditions and language were a vital part of their history.

Dolphin pods were different. They were less familial. Dolphin shifters had opened themselves to mating with humans or other shifters over the generations, which had loosened their connections to their shared past. Mael hadn’t expected Echo to know Māori—he showed no outward signs of the lineage with his blue eyes, light hair, and paler skin. For some reason, it turned him on to hear those words whispered from his little dolphin’s lips. Because they were unexpected? Or because it was another thing they shared?

He squeezed harder and quickened his pace, desperate to see Echo shatter. Echo buried his face against Mael’s chest.

“No, pepi … I wanna see your face,” Mael whispered. “Show me how good I make you feel.”

A knock at the back door caused Mael to freeze. Echo’s head whipped up as he slid his arms down to look over Mael’s shoulder.

“Fuck,” Echo muttered.

Mael glanced back and saw Diego glaring at him through the glass window in the kitchen door. He turned back to Echo. “Your friend is a pain in my ass.”

“Right now he’s being a pain in mine, too.”

Mael stroked Echo’s cock one last time before letting go and pulling his hand away. Thankfully, his body had blocked Diego’s view of what they were doing, but he was sure the guy had an idea. He helped Echo down off the counter and snagged a kiss before Echo slowly walked toward the door. Snagging a cup from the rack on the counter, Mael poured himself a coffee.

Echo swung the door open with a creak. “Morning, Diego.”

Mael turned around and rested back against the counter, waiting to see what drama unfolded. From the way Diego glared at him, there was definitely going to be drama. Echo was already afraid of their bond and what it meant for their future. A friend’s disapproval might scare him off completely.

He wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

“I came to talk about last night,” Diego said before glaring over Echo’s shoulder. His gaze dipped to the obvious erection tenting Mael’s briefs before averting his eyes and refocusing on Echo. “I’m worried about you.”

“There’s nothing to be worried about,” Echo said.

“I shouldn’t worry about him!” Diego snapped, thrusting a hand in Mael’s direction. “You’re playing with fire.”

“You have no right to interfere in our relationship,” Echo snapped.

“Relationship? You know damned well the pod will never approve of this. If anyone catches him here, it’s not going to be pretty. It might even start a war.”

“The treaty covers the waters, not the land,” Mael murmured over the rim of the cup before taking a sip. “I’m not crossing any lines by being here, nor would he if he came out to the island.”

“It might not be law, but it might as well be. When’s the last time any of your kind stepped in Dolphin Bay?” Diego asked him, gaze dipping again.

“No idea,” Mael replied. “I don’t have a habit of interrogating my kind about their travels.”

Diego opened his mouth and hesitated. “Can you cover yourself please?”

Mael smiled, hoping he made Diego uncomfortable. “You interrupted our fun when you could’ve just as easily walked away without making your presence known and embarrassing a man you call a friend. Make stupid choices, you face the consequences.”

Some of the anger ebbed from Diego’s face. “I’m not trying to embarrass him. I only want to protect him. From you.”

“Mael’s my mate,” Echo said to Diego.

Diego’s wide-eyed gaze whipped to Echo’s. “What?”

Mael’s eyes widened a bit, too. He hadn’t expected that easy of an admission to come from Echo’s lips. It was the first moment his omega had verbally confirmed who they were to one another, too. Pleasure coursed through him hearing it. Too bad they had company, or he’d reward Echo’s bravery.

“Orcas and dolphins don’t mix,” Diego said. “They’re incompatible.”

In the wild, orcas and dolphins were incompatible reproductive-wise, even though they were both members of the Delphinidae family. Perhaps shifters were different, though he’d never heard of a mixed orca-dolphin shifter child before. Regardless, he and Echo were mates, no matter if they’d be blessed with children one day or not.

He’d never envisioned himself a father, so maybe it would be for the best if they couldn’t.

Yet Mael’s gaze drifted to Echo, imagining one day seeing his mate full and round with his child. A knot formed in the middle of his chest at the thought of holding a tiny life he’d made with his mate. A little piece of them both made flesh. He pushed it away before it became an obsession, especially considering he had no right to think himself worthy of fatherhood.

He wasn’t worthy of matehood, either, but if fate was handing him a gift, he sure as fuck was taking it.

“Incompatible or not, should we ignore the bonds of fate? Mael and I both feel it,” Echo said. “It’s going to be hard enough facing the pod with this. I don’t need it coming from you, too.”

Diego grew silent. He turned his head and eyed Mael. “Your name is male? As in M-A-L-E?”

“Mael… as in Maelstrom,” Echo murmured.

Diego’s eyes grew even wider. “The orca that butchered his own brother? That’s who you’re mated to?”

Mael’s gaze shot to Echo, who didn’t respond. How could he? Mael had never explained himself the night before. He’d known it would ruin their night if he had, and he hadn’t been in the mood to relive that horror and welcome the darkness back into his mind. While he cared less what Diego thought about him, Echo deserved to hear his side of the story, not the rumors that had spread.

Echo turned his gaze to look at Mael, a sense of anticipation and dread mixed there.

“I told you… it’s not what you said it was,” Mael whispered to Echo.

“You don’t—” Echo shook his head. “You don’t have to explain it now.”

He hadn’t had to tell the tale in a long, long time. Silence hung heavily in the kitchen as he gathered the courage to tell his mate about that horrible night. His heartbeat raced, thundering in his ears. Mouth dry, he sipped his coffee before spilling his guts.

What if Echo didn’t understand why he’d done what he’d done?

“My older brother was an addict,” Mael murmured, watching his mate closely. Echo slowly spun in Mael’s direction, unease in his expression. “Mom tried getting him help for years. Therapy… rehab, but nothing ever seemed to work. At least, not for long.” Mael swallowed the lump in his throat, his chest tightening. He drew in a strangled breath. “For some reason, our mother became his punching bag—the one he blamed for all of his life’s troubles when all she’s ever done is give. To us. To our community.” He paused, memories assailing him. “One night, he was high as hell, shifted, and went after her. When I found them fighting… it soon became clear that he was trying to kill her.”

Echo’s eyes widened as Mael fought the sting of tears.

“I h—” He paused, his voice cracking. “I had no plans of harming him, but I had to defend her. And myself.” Mael let out a slow breath, rubbing his wrist. “I don’t know if it was the drugs or what, but he was… crazed. Strong. Vicious. I narrowly avoided his bite multiple times—and he was pulling no punches with me, either. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop him from killing us both.” Mael drew in a shaky breath. “By the end, I was exhausted. I had nothing left. Instead of killing me like I thought he would, he spun and lunged toward Mom again. In a moment of panic, I bit him, terrified he’d get to her. I bit too hard. There was blood… so much blood…” He winced, trying to prevent the sob that threatened to come out. “I was only sixteen. I’d grown up idolizing him. I didn’t want to kill my brother. I wanted to save my mother.”

Echo was silent.

Cold chills washed over Mael as he counted the seconds that dragged between them. He wanted to vomit. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry for the loss of the brother he’d known before the drugs had warped everything and shattered all of their lives.

He couldn’t breathe, the prospect that Echo would turn away from him a terrorizing thought. One night had already robbed him of so much. Would it continue to take every bit of joy out of his life?

Echo marched across the kitchen and flung himself into Mael’s arms. Mael caught him, squeezing his eyes closed tight and trying to rid himself of the ugly memories retelling that story brought back to the surface. Echo wrapped both arms around Mael’s waist and squeezed tight, lending his warmth.

“I’m so sorry, Mael.”

Mael tucked Echo’s head under his chin, holding his omega close and allowing Echo to chase away some of the cold. Hopefully, he’d never have to tell that story again. Eighteen years later and it was still a raw ache inside, never fully forgotten. Rehashing it only ripped the wound open again.

“It sounds like you were put in an impossible situation and made a decision no boy should have to make,” Echo murmured. “You did what you had to do to save your mother.”

Logically, Mael knew that. Emotionally? He could never fully forgive himself.

“I’m sure that was difficult to face,” Diego murmured.

Mael had forgotten Diego was there. He looked up at Echo’s friend, wishing they were alone. Part of him was ready to kick Diego out, yet after reliving that night, perhaps it was better that he be the one to go. He wasn’t in the right headspace to be around anyone . “I think I’m going to head out.”

Echo leaned back and lifted his chin. “You don’t have to go.”

“I don’t have to—but I need to clear my head.” He pressed a kiss to Echo’s forehead. “Plus I need to gather the gear for our investigation.”

“When will I see you again?” Echo asked.

Mael caressed his omega’s neck, running his thumb along Echo’s cheek. “Tomorrow afternoon?” He forced a grin. “Meet me at our spot around two?”

Echo smiled softly. “Okay.”

“I need to grab my clothes. I’ll just be a minute,” Mael said.

“I’ll come up and return your sweater.”

Mael shook his head, the corners of his lips rising. “It’s yours. For now.”

“Only temporary, hmm?” Echo asked, grinning.

“Just until my scent wears off,” Mael murmured lowly. “Then I’ll trade you for another one.”

He stole another kiss before backing away. Echo wrapped his arms around himself, and Mael struggled not to march back over, pick him up, and carry him upstairs to finish what had been interrupted.

That would make him forget that night.

His little dolphin was too tempting in his too-big sweater. Having Echo under him again might chase away the memories, but he wasn’t sure he could control his emotions. Echo was likely sore from the night before, and Mael wouldn’t harm his mate. Making himself go up the stairs, he glared down at the creaky boards, shaking his head.