Page 12 of Entranced By the Nakken (Freedom, Love, Monsters #4)

Tsunis

While the sea cave they tentatively called home was created by the burst of magic that birthed the portal, Tsunis had crafted this crystal-clear spring with their own magic and filled it with a brilliant strain of water lilies.

The beautiful nymphaiia look-alikes decorated this private spring with pops of color like joy incarnate.

The flowers reminded them of Casimir, and thoughts of Casimir were dangerous.

Tsunis stood waist-deep in the middle of the lovely garden, scowling at the joyous lilies.

The turmoil in their gut was a mix of biology and shame.

Many days had passed since their body formed a full clutch of eggs in preparation for mating, so the ache in their glandial area was less noticable.

The eggs had since been released or reabsorbed, and their next mating cycle would not be for some time.

Enough time that Tsunis could wait for the right moment and come clean about what they’d done, and what came next.

It was no secret their genetics were different from their mate’s, but Casimir didn’t know how different—nor did he understand the weight of the word mate.

No matter their gentle hints and subtle hedges, Casimir saw himself as Tsunis’ boyfriend, which appeared to have a different meaning than a male who is a friend, and different still to plaything.

Though Tsunis wanted very much to be Casimir’s plaything.

Which circled back to Casimir’s ignorance about Tsunis’ much, much different biology, based on what Tsunis gleaned during their shameful writhing over his rock-hard… thing.

Then there was the matter of the performance. How foolish Tsunis was to agree! On the slim chance Casimir found a way to sneak them in, they’d be in a crowded, high-tension room full of humans.

Tsunis bristled but couldn’t deny their curiosity was piqued. It’d been a long time since they enjoyed music in the company of others. Casimir was human. Casimir would be singing the song they found together. A warmth filled Tsunis where their loneliness usually swam.

Come to think of it, where had their loneliness been lately? Over the past decade, loneliness was a constant companion. A friend warming the waters beside the portal each night where they curled up beside the mass of pollution to sleep.

Tsunis deserved loneliness. They’d left their home world helpless, and what was worse, lately they couldn’t bring themself to care.

Each night, Tsunis chased the guilt away with thoughts of their mate, of his hard body encircling theirs, thrusting his mysterious appendage through their dripping glands.

His laugh, the indents in his cheeks when he smiled at their frown, which drove Tsunis mad.

His pinky hooked around theirs as he kissed them goodbye, always parting on the same phrase. Don’t forget.

As if Tsunis could forget Casimir was theirs. That was like asking the brook not to babble, the river not to flow. The moon not to make waves.

“Hello, professor.”

Tsunis squeaked at the sound of Casimir’s voice. They spun toward it like a lotus to the sun, praying to Glacia their mate couldn’t read the thoughts straight from their forehead, lest he discover how utterly smitten they were.

“You aren’t supposed to be here,” Tsunis growled, despising the heat that flayed them.

Casimir chuckled. Tsunis frowned harder. They hated when he did that.

Unaware or uncaring of their disposition, Casimir strode forward and leaned over the thin barrier of stones protecting the peaceful spring. A long, strong arm wrapped around Tsunis’ waist and dragged them flat against the wall, flush against his mate’s hard torso.

“You weren’t at our spot. I came looking, and guess what I found?” Casimir planted a honeyed kiss on their lips, and Tsunis’ muscles melted like little traitors that hadn’t undergone decades of rigorous training.

“What?” Tsunis demanded, scowling against Casimir’s pillowy mouth when they heard how weak their voice was.

“The prettiest flower on the surface.” Casimir nipped their lower lip, dragging it out of their frown.

Tsunis surveyed the flowers floating around them, and Casimir laughed. Tsunis shot him an annoyed glance, but he arched a brow and backed away.

“What, me?” Tsunis’ frown deepened into something more like a pout. “Not fair. You cannot steal my pet names for you and make them your own.”

“Why not?” Casimir deposited his guitar on a dry patch, then returned to lean on the stone, staring at Tsunis like they were the goddess herself.

“Because.”

“That’s my brat,” Casimir murmured.

Tsunis’ jaw dropped, but Casimir caught it with his knuckles and traced the line of their open mouth. They snapped it shut. Mischief gleamed in their mate’s eyes.

This. This was the problem with thoughts of Casimir, especially problematic when they arose before their scheduled meetings. Tsunis glanced around the flower bed and gathered the nymphaiias in front of themself so Casimir wouldn’t get an eyeful before Tsunis could explain.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Tsunis repeated, calmer now. Irritating methods aside, Casimir never ceased to unarm them. “How did you know where to find me?”

“Dunnoh.” Casimir shrugged and dipped his fingers in the water, splashing around like a carefree child. “Just kind of followed my instincts.”

Tsunis snorted but schooled their expression under Casimir’s curious gaze. No, he’d not followed his instincts, but he had followed something.

Their song. Not the one Casimir planned to play for all to hear, but the one that belonged only to the two of them. The song that united their heartstrings. A bond that couldn’t be broken. A song that couldn’t be ignored.

There was a saying back home, extracted from the texts of Glacia, written in the dead language of the elementals.

Scholars translated it as, There will come a spirit who sounds like a Song written by the goddess to keep you alive.

Casimir wasn’t from Glacis. He couldn’t have been created by the goddess.

Yet his soul sounded like a poem written to convince Tsunis to stay. To live.

“Hey.” Casimir’s tone changed. Still flicking the water, he bit his cheek. Tsunis tensed, awaiting the detonation. “I think I dreamed of your dragon.” Tsunis blanched. Casimir glanced up, catching their surprise. “Like, a few weeks ago. Definitely before I saw it…you.”

Goddess damn it all.

Resigned, Tsunis pinched the bridge of their nose. That settled matters. It was decided. They flicked their fingers toward the guitar and resumed bossing Casimir around.

“Grab your case.” A smile pulled their lips when Casimir obeyed like it was second nature. He started to open the case. “No. We’re doing things differently today.”

“Okay,” Casimir drawled. Tsunis dutifully held his gaze. “I have the case.”

“Put it over there, under the tree.” Casimir obeyed. Good human.

“Take off your clothes,” Tsunis caught Casimir’s shocked brows rising as they shifted into their dragon form. “And ride me."