2
DESBURCHù
F rom his position on the rolling dunes overlooking the beach, Desburchù Ulfmar, King of the Merrow Isles and the Storming Seas, watched the small capsule touch down and spit out seven humans.
All female, he noted.
Interesting choice on the part of the humans.
More tactical than he expected.
It gave him hope that this wouldn’t be the complete disaster he originally envisioned.
As the humans disembarked, the other planetary leaders broke off from their huddled conversations and drifted towards them, drawn in like sharks sensing blood in the water.
This should be amusing , he thought, folding his arms over his chest as he watched the show from a distance.
“Why are we here again? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with these talks.” Standing seven feet tall and built like a bull seal, Gunnar was a big fan of schedules and organization and strongly disliked it when Des gave into his impulses and dragged them somewhere unplanned.
He tacked on a belated “Sire” after one of his team standing behind them discretely cleared her throat.
Des huffed out a quiet laugh.
Okay, yes.
Technically, Gunnar shouldn’t be questioning Des’s decisions, especially not in front of other people.
But Gunnar had been his friend long before he was his bodyguard, and Des’s change in status from spare heir to king was still fresh.
Neither of them were adjusting to the shift fast enough to suit decorum.
Besides, Des appreciated Gunnar’s blunt ways and straight talk.
He didn’t want to lose that because of his fancy new title.
Maybe I should just make him an advisor and be done with it, he thought.
Something to consider.
“We’re here because some of the strongest rulers on the planet are here, and I’m curious why they decided to treat with these humans.”
“Ah,” Gunnar said with a nod.
“So, gathering intel then.”
“Indeed. Dipping my toe into unknown waters, seeing if it’s somewhere we might want to swim,” he said, shading his eyes and squinting towards the pack of females still huddled together next to their spacecraft.
They were too far away for him to get a good look at the offerings, though, and he wanted to see what the humans had sent.
Plus, he needed to make his presence known, greet his allies, and do a bit of politicking, even though that was one of the last things he wanted to do.
He’d been content to leave the politics, dealmaking, and glad-handing to his brother.
But then the bonehead went and got himself killed while hunting down a rogue sharktopus last year, and now Des was stuck in the role instead.
“Dammit, Isak. Had go to play the big hero and now look where we are,” he muttered, braiding three fingers together and tapping them over his heart in Isak’s memory.
Suddenly feeling confined, he unfastened the top two buttons of his shirt, rolled up his sleeves, and drew in a deep breath of salty sea air.
What he wouldn’t give to have his brother back.
But Isak was gone and Des was king.
His people needed him.
As their ruler, he needed to forge stronger bonds with allies, make new connections with potential trade partners, and weigh in on the benefits and liabilities of allowing humans to settle on this planet.
His people deserved nothing less than his best.
Decision made, he said, “Let’s go.”
“Sire,” Gunnar grunted and motioned to the protection detail, who fanned out as Des strode down the incline.
But he didn’t get far.
One female had wandered away from the pack.
Something more interesting than the unfamiliar beings waiting to speak with her had caught her attention.
“How intriguing,” he murmured.
As one who tended to swim upstream rather than following the pod himself, he was drawn towards the human who risked irritating some of the most powerful beings on a planet, beings her people desperately needed to impress if they wanted to make Sanos their new home.
He had to admit, she was a stunning specimen.
Taller than her fellow beings, she was nearly the height of the average Merrow female.
Her form-fitting uniform of deep cerulean blue showcased her athletic form, the gentle curve of her waist, and pleasing size of her breasts.
But what really drew his eye was the straight waterfall of icy yellow hair spilling over her shoulders and down her back.
Not yellow.
Humans call that color blonde when it’s hair , he reminded himself, wanting to get things right.
Even though he hadn’t originally planned on attending this summit, he’d studied all the information about humans he could get his hands on.
From everything he’d read, humans were fascinating beings, innovative and creative.
What he couldn’t figure out was how in the depths they’d managed to damage their ecosystem so completely that they were now forced to beg for berth on another planet.
Why hadn’t they used their ingenuity to try and reverse the damage done?
And how had they let it get so bad in the first place?
Those unanswered questions were another part of what changed his mind about attending.
That and pure, unadulterated nosiness and curiosity about humans in general.
Didn’t mean he necessarily wanted them living in his territory, but he was interested.
As he strolled closer, the female crouched down, inspected a rock, and licked it.
“Did she just lick that rock?” one of his protection detail whispered before Gunnar growled at them.
“I have to meet her,” Des said.
The strength of the impulse surprised him, and he found himself moving in her direction before he could stop himself.
“What about the others? We’re close enough that they know you’re here. Protocol demands you greet them before approaching a human, Des,” Gunnar said.
A throat cleared behind them.
“Sire,” Gunnar added with a sigh.
“This is highly indecorous.”
“You’re right,” Des said, keeping the same trajectory.
He’d deal with the repercussions later.
Right now, his primary drive was to speak with the blonde human.
Gunnar merely grunted and shifted the detail to better cover Des’s back.
He stood over her for a solid three waves, but she was so absorbed in her treasure, she didn’t notice him.
Finally, he said, “Find something interesting there, little human?”
At the sound of his voice, she startled, nearly dropping her rock as she spun in her crouch to look up at him.
He swallowed back a snicker when her gaze paused at his cock to ask what he’d said.
She was even more stunning up close.
His fingers itched to gather up that glorious mane of hair of hers, to bury his face in her neck and breathe her scent deep into his lungs.
Instead, he offered her a hand, hoping she’d take it so at least he’d get to see if her creamy white skin was as soft as it looked.
His breath caught when she took his hand and stood, her eyes meeting his.
It was like falling into a bottomless pool, and he found himself drowning in their icy blue depths, unable and unwilling to pull himself free.
Mate , the deepest part of his soul hummed.
The corner of his mouth quirked up into a dopey grin before he could stop it.
He’d never expected to find a mate, especially not one from a different planet.
True mates amongst the Merrow were more rare and precious than emeralds.
“Who are you?” she asked abruptly.
“I am Merrow.” He stroked the back of her hand, the feel of her soft skin beneath his sensitive thumb pad driving him wild.
There was a pause, two small lines appearing between her pale brows as she studied him.
Then she licked her lips, introduced herself, and asked his name.
He answered as if by rote, all his attention on the delicate pink tongue that darted out to wet her plump lips.
Astra , he thought, savoring it.
Beautiful .
His hand tightened on hers and he stepped closer, desperate to touch her, to taste her.
Leaning down, he pressed his nose to her neck, breathing her in.
Beneath the aroma of acrid chemical cleanser and recycled water was a hauntingly familiar fragrance that felt like home.
She smelled like the sweetest ambrosia and, now that he’d caught her scent, he was never letting her go.
Explosions shattered the perfection of the moment.
With a possessive growl, he wrapped her in his arms and put himself between her and danger.
“Gunnar,” he barked, cursing himself for wearing his ceremonial sword rather than a more practical weapon.
The attackers were most likely part of the anti-alien faction that had been making noise ever since the humans parked that massive ship of theirs at the edge of Sanos’s atmosphere and asked if they could make it their home.
Seemed they’d escalated from protests to outright violence.
“On it.” Gunnar drew his weapon and snapped out orders, moving to protect Des’s flank.
“Was this you?” the woman in his arms asked, her eyes wide.
“No. Why would you think that?” he said.
How could she ask that of him?
Did she not realize they were mates?
He frowned, trying to recall if humans even recognized mates as the Merrow did.
“We need to get over there and help them,” she said, touching his chest.
He placed his hand over hers and gave her a reassuring squeeze.
“You’re safer here with me.” They’d be even safer once he got her on his ship and away from here, but he was proud of her desire to protect her fellow humans.
His mate was a brave one.
“If the others can’t protect their own women, they don’t deserve them,” he added.
He tipped his chin at Gunnar and pointed towards the tall dune their ship was parked behind.
Gunnar nodded and gave the rest of the team the ‘tighten up and let’s get the fuck out of here’ signal.
But the female in his arms wasn’t swimming in the same stream as he was.
Quick as a minnow, she twisted out of his grasp and sprinted across the sands towards the fighting and explosions.
“Shit,” he growled, pulling the sword from the sheath on his back and charging after her.