Page 19 of Making Out With Mermaids (Haven Ever After #6)
CHAPTER NINETEEN
BETMAL
I ’m desperate to respond to Ama’s comment and tell her I love her. That from the moment I realized who she was to me, I’ve been hers. But when I’m clutching her cousin’s hand is not the right time.
Thatraeia looks up at me inquisitively, ears twitching at the tips just like Amatheia’s do when she’s interested in something. Her being here is huge for my mate, because it’s the first time she’s been even remotely supportive of the time Ama spends up here.
With me.
Thatraeia rubs at the back of her elbow, glancing toward her cousin as she drops my hand. “Malakat will wonder where we are if I don’t come home soon, so I won’t stay too terribly long.”
Alé joins us, smiling at the females. “I’ll keep an eye on your paintings while they dry. Once I can move them, I’ll store them upstairs so they don’t get jostled or knocked into.”
“Thanks.” Amatheia looks over at me. “Shall we go home?”
I smile. “Of course, darling. Would you like to walk? If not, I’ll grab the car.”
She laughs. “Walk, for sure. I love walking now.”
Thatraeia glances at Ama’s leg and gasps. “Goddess, I didn’t notice at first. Ama, your leg! It’s new, right?”
Amatheia smiles and bends down, knocking at the new prosthetic. “I refused one for so long because of the guilt, but he convinced me to do this and it’s been amazing—the pain is gone. It’s so freeing, Cousin.” She looks over at me. “And he did that.”
Thatraeia takes Ama’s hand and brings it to her heart. “I’m worried about all of this working out, but I’m happy for you, Ama. I never wanted that pain for you. You don’t deserve it. You’re the best person in the entire world.”
“Agreed,” I tack on. “Shall we go?”
When I reach the door, I open it for the girls. My love holds her cousin’s hand as they walk through together, but the smile she directs at me lights me up from the inside out.
Our walk home is quiet but peaceful. Ama gives Thatraeia a verbal tour of the Annabelle Inn and the Community Garden. We pass those landmarks and walk in companionable silence along Sycamore Street until we reach our driveway.
Ama grabs her cousin’s shoulders and spins her to face the house. “This is Betmal’s place. It’s beautiful, Cousin. I can’t wait to show you.”
Thatraeia gasps and starts forward, walking along the crushed shell driveway as the cottage swings her front doors open wide. As the younger mermaid walks away from us, I come behind Amatheia and slide my arm around her waist, slipping my fingers into the top of her skirt. I press myself against the crack of her ass, bringing my lips to her ear.
“There’s a surprise for you in the backyard, darling. The house and I have been working on a little something for the last two days. Morgan and Abe came over last night to help me put the finishing touches on it. I had grand plans of unveiling it to you in a very sensual way, but I think, perhaps, you two should discover it together.”
Ama grinds her ass against me, covering my hand with both of hers. She looks up and back at me. “I promise we’ll find time alone tonight. We need it, don’t you think?”
Smiling, I press my lips to hers. “I do,” I breathe into her mouth.
She grabs my hand and pulls me forward as we follow Thatraeia toward the house.
The girls bound toward the back, giggling over something. I smile as Ama drags her cousin through the back door. “Come, Thatraeia. You absolutely must see the cottage where I’ve been painting this whole time. Well, except for today.”
I planned to give them space, but I want to see my woman’s reaction when she sees the project that’s occupied most of the last two days.
A gasp is the first sign she’s seen it.
Ama stops dead in her tracks, still holding her cousin’s hand. In front of the women, there’s now a glittering pond with a smooth rock shore reminiscent of their lake. Large boulders surround it on one side, and I cut the branches off the trees to let light in to shine directly on that spot. The small body of water takes up nearly all of the space between the back of the house and the workshop.
Amatheia turns from side to side, then steps forward and dips her toes into the first few inches of the lake. She spins to face me, eyes wide and mouth dropped open.
“Is this heated? You…made a heated lake in your backyard?”
Thatraeia is silent, looking between us as I nod.
“Yes, ma siréne. When you are not in the lake, I still want you to be able to be in your merfolk form if you wish. This is a spot for you to relax, to?—”
She silences me by dashing across the scant space between us and throwing herself into my arms. Pressing her lips to mine, she kisses me nearly senseless. When we part, it’s a struggle to remind myself that we have an audience.
I card the fingers of one hand through her hair, holding her close as she wraps long legs around my waist. A tear slides down her cheek. “It’s perfect, Betmal, absolutely perfect. I can’t believe you did this for me. You’re amazing.”
“I would do anything for you,” I remind her. “Anything at all, my darling.”
If her cousin was not standing just to the side, this would be the perfect time to carry my woman to the closest rock, lay her down on it and start teaching her about all the things we’ve only begun to hint at.
Patience, Betmal, I tell myself. Later tonight, once Thatraeia is gone and our plan is finalized, I’ll have that chance.
I set Ama down, resisting the urge to run both hands over the lush curves of her hips and thighs.
Thatraeia joins us, wrapping her arms protectively around her torso. “This is, ermm, really cool. I’ve never seen something like this, but it looks like a lot of fun.”
I smile. “You called me dangerous once, dear girl, and you were right. I can be. But I can also be quite romantic when the occasion calls for it.”
She laughs a little, nervously, coral eyes moving back to the small lake. “I can see that. I just…when Father or Malakat find out about this, all depths will break loose.”
The formerly happy moment grows tense, Ama freezing in my arms as she tucks her hair nervously behind one long ear. “We know,” she whispers. “Part of tonight was us figuring out a plan.”
I hold back the growl that threatens to rumble from my throat. Caralorn will be a problem indeed.
Slipping an arm around my mate’s waist, I focus on her cousin. “It continues to amaze me how everyone seems to think they have a say at all in what Amatheia does with her life. Now that she has me in her corner, know this—I will fight tooth and nail for her to decide how she wants to live every moment of every day.”
Thatraeia blanches. “It’s just that Father will fight this.”
“Let him fight, then,” I manage. “I welcome it. I’d like to try talking with him first, but when he is not amenable to this,” I gesture between Ama and me, “I will become physical if I have to.”
“It won’t come to that,” Amatheia says quietly, looking between us as she straightens tall. “I’ve already decided I’m simply telling him I’m leaving the lake.” She looks at me. “If you’re truly fine with me coming here, I will, but I’d be happy to go to the Annabelle if?—”
“Here,” I demand. “Absolutely here unless you don’t feel comfortable, ma siréne. And when you go to tell Caralorn, I’ll be coming with you. I’ve quietly prepared Haven leadership, and they are ready to back us and protect downtown if Caralorn brings the fight up here.”
Thatraeia gasps. “Depths, is this really happening? I’ve always dreamed of leaving with Ama, but now the net is closing around us, and this is terrifying.” She throws a trembling hand over her mouth, glancing between us as she shifts from one foot to the other.
“Come with us,” I offer. “You’re welcome here or at the Annabelle Inn, if you want to leave.” When she shoots me an incredulous look, I nod. “You’re Amatheia’s cousin; my duty is just as much to care for you as it is her. We can keep you safe, my sweet, I promise.”
“But…why?” Her voice is small as she wraps her arms more tightly around her upper body again. I’m sensing it’s a nervous habit and I hate that she feels the need to do so.
I hold back for just a moment, not sure how much Amatheia’s ready to reveal.
She pulls her cousin in close for a hug. “He’s my mate, Thatraeia. I won’t allow Malakat or Caralorn or even Stefan to keep us apart. Not when I’ve been compliant and complacent for so long. It’s my time. I get to pick myself, finally, and I would encourage you to do the same. This won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.”
Thatraeia looks up at me from Ama’s embrace, and I sense we’ve broken through her fear to some degree. “What would you recommend I do?”
I smile at the lovely mermaid. “Let’s have dinner, shall we?” I wave at the house, who opens and shuts all the kitchen windows in rapid succession to call us inside. “We’ll talk through some details about our plan and go from there.”
The girls follow me back inside. Ama directs her cousin to the dining room table, then comes to help me in the kitchen.
Dinner is a quiet affair, Thatraeia more silent than I’d like, despite Amatheia’s urging that she ask questions or share her thoughts. We do manage to get through some detail about how to proceed with Caralorn, but it’s clear Thatraeia is as uncomfortable as she is tentatively excited.
Eventually, the younger female grows agitated, looking at her comm watch and biting at her lip.
“Darling, I can drive you back to the lake, if you like.” I gesture toward the front of the house.
Thatraeia looks from me to Amatheia. “Are you coming home too? Or not?”
Amatheia shakes her head, and I expect her to seem anxious, but all I read from her is confident peacefulness.
“No, Cousin, I’m not coming home tonight. Tonight is about Betmal and me. But tomorrow, we’ll come back and talk to your father. That’s the plan.”
“It’s going to be fine,” I reassure the timid mermaid.
It takes us all of a quarter hour to return Thatraeia to the lake. Amatheia walks her cousin up the path, disappearing into the forest. They’re gone for a short time, and I wait patiently, knowing she’s coming back to me. That this day has been long and gone a little sideways.
Tomorrow probably won’t be any better.
But once we get home… Gods above and below, once we get home, she is mine.