Page 34 of The Merman’s Betrothal (Outcast Hearts #2)

Neacel was already pulling white slivers of mackerel from a pot. ‘ For as many nights as you need. ’ He flashed a wry, knowing sort of smile at Fionn over his shoulder. ‘ Much progress indeed, Your Highness. ’

Fionn wasn’t sure whether he ought to show pleasure or indignation at such a comment—but he was at least gratified to have recognised Neacel’s friendly ribbing for what it was.

And he was pleased, inwardly, that Neacel agreed he’d improved his approach to handling Rory.

Not handling, in fact: more like supporting.

Communicating. Comforting. An ongoing balancing act of reading Rory’s needs and emotions in order to answer or fulfill them.

It was strangely freeing to focus on Rory’s well-being as a constant, transmutable thing rather than on gaining his affections as a static goal to be accomplished.

Right now, Rory was warily eyeing the fish in Neacel’s hands. ‘ Do you eat it raw? ’

‘ Sometimes, yes, ’ Fionn said, noting the way Rory’s nose wrinkled. ‘ But it is more common to cook it first. ’

Rory moved closer to watch as Neacel removed the cover from the heat vent in the floor and floated his cooking pot over it.

‘ We use controlled vents of heated water to cook our food, ’ Fionn told him. ‘ It is quite safe. ’

‘ It’s geothermal? That’s cool as fuck. ’ Rory backed off a little. ‘ Jesus, I can feel the heat from here. ’

Fionn struggled with his turn of phrase. How could something be cool and hot at once? He chalked it up to another quirk in Rory’s DeepSong.

The super-heated water from the vent did indeed dissipate through the chamber, warming the space through.

The warmth seemed to help take some of the tension out of Rory’s muscles.

Not that he’d looked uncomfortable before, but Fionn guessed his body was simply more used to the balmy climate of the surface world.

When the mackerel was cooked, Fionn offered the serving basket to Rory first.

‘ I just sort of grab one through the sides? ’ Rory asked, looking at the spherical vessel with confusion. It was loosely woven so that food could be easily accessed from any angle, and looked nothing like serving dishes Fionn had seen on land.

‘The fish would float away if it is not contained, ’ Fionn explained, inwardly lighting up at the new round of fascination this inspired in Rory. ‘ We also mount our food on skewers sometimes, so that it might be served on a flat surface. ’

‘ Like this platter. ’ Neacel brandished a polished circle of stone into which thin brass spikes had been embedded. He then selected a few morsels of raw, pinkish meat from another pot and arranged them on the platter for Rory to inspect. ‘ This is eel, if you wish to try. ’

Rory gulped. ‘ Well. In for a penny, in for a pound… ’ He plucked a small chunk of eel flesh and popped it into his mouth. His tight expression gradually dissolved. ‘ Oh. I didn’t think it would be so mild. ’

Fionn relaxed as well. Rory appeared to be enjoying himself.

He soon got the hang of eating from the round basket and even began to play with his food like a child.

Fionn watched him flick a sliver of fish upwards before catching it in his mouth once it had spun to a standstill.

Rory laughed and exclaimed, ‘ It’s like eating in space! ’

Fionn grinned and selected a strip of eel. ‘ Watch this. ’

He flung the meat past Rory’s head. Quick as a flash, Fionn grabbed a bronze dart from his harness and threw it with precision. It pierced the eel and skewered it to the cave wall.

‘ I’d be obliged if you could refrain from such games in my home, ’ Neacel said with a chiding smile.

Fionn pulled his dart from the wall. ‘ Sorry. ’

‘ You nearly took my ear off, ’ Rory told him in a grumbly way. Except it wasn’t really much of a grumble, and the way his gaze followed Fionn’s hands suggested he might quite like to see it again.

Fionn was inspired to say, ‘ I shall make up for it later, ’ which produced a most interesting shade of red over Rory’s face and neck.

Fleetingly, Fionn’s thoughts returned to the feeling of his knot swelling in Rory’s mouth.

He dropped the mackerel he was about to eat, all at once hot and wet in his core and his cock rapidly turning hard. Rory stiffened, halfway through chewing. Suddenly he was looking anywhere but at Fionn.

Neacel, thankfully, remained oblivious. He brought up the length of their stay in his cave. ‘ I’m afraid I only have two chambers, so you will need to make the best of this one. Do you know how long you have until you are expected back at the palace, Fionn? It must be getting close now, isn’t it? ’

‘ Close to what? ’ Fionn’s mind lifted from his cock back to the present. ‘ Ah, the wedding. It is the full moon in two days, so who knows? To be honest I’m not supposed to leave the palace at all in this time, in case the Redfolk descend upon us without warning. ’

This jerked Rory from his thoughts as well. ‘ What, your wedding’s meant to be in two days? ’

‘ Possibly. The Redfolk like to keep us in the dark. It might be longer. ’

Rory pushed the serving basket aside with a frown. ‘ You mentioned a plan. ’

Fionn paused, vacillating over whether to dump even more information onto him. Rory hadn’t drowned yet.

‘ We must confront my father before the wedding can take place, ’ Fionn said while gauging his reaction. ‘ I cannot… I must not lay eyes upon any Redfolk if I am to escape this marriage. For I am cursed by ancient magic to be bonded to the first member of the tribe that I see. ’

Rory sighed. ‘ Magic again. Go on. ’ Then his brow furrowed. ‘ Wait, so you’ve never seen one of these red guys before? ’

‘ Never. It would foul the bargain. ’

‘ Bargain, right. But they can’t actually force you to marry one of them, can they? ’

Ah, of course Rory might not comprehend the implications of a magical contract. Fionn mustered every ounce of patience he owned to explain in simple terms.

‘ Long ago, a Bluefolk king promised away the hand of every First Prince in marriage. To safeguard that marriage for all future generations, the bargain included a cursed soul bond to ensure the prince would be bonded to his Redfolk suitor regardless of his own will. ’

Rory scratched his stubble, hiding a grimace as he tried to follow. ‘ And what did your people get in return? ’

‘ The Redfolk provide special magics to hide us in this world— ’

‘ Like the illusion around the palace? ’ Rory jumped in.

‘ Yes. ’ Fionn was pleased that he was catching up. He knew Rory would be able to handle this. ‘ And they also guard us against threats that might travel across the rift from the fae world into our oceans. ’

Neacel’s eyes widened. ‘ Is it true they stop monsters from pouring into the Minch? ’

‘ If they do, I’ve seen no evidence of it, ’ Fionn scoffed. ‘ They could be lying about that part. ’

‘ This is some heavy shit. ’ Rory reclined, floating on his back to stare at the rock ceiling. ‘ Why didn’t you tell me all this before? Especially if you’re meant to be married off in a matter of days! You’d think you’d have some urgency. ’

‘ You did not respond well to urgency, ’ Fionn replied dryly. ‘ I must admit that until you called me this morning I had almost given up hope. ’

‘ Fuck. I’m sorry. ’ Rory flipped upright to face him, his expression grim but earnest. ‘ I dunno how I’ve been sleepwalking through all of this. With you right in front of me! I must be the daftest prick who ever lived to turn you down… ’

‘ And so many times! ’ Fionn joked back. Underneath his composure his head and heart were whirling again. He scooped Rory up in his arms. Held him close. Ran a hand through Rory’s hair before tilting his chin to look him in the eyes.

Neacel brushed past them. He gave Fionn a pointed look. ‘ I am going out for exactly one hour. It is getting late, and I wish to come home to sleep. ’

‘ Do you need to fetch something? ’ Fionn asked, puzzled.

Rory jumped in. ‘ One hour. We got it. ’ He pulled Fionn’s fingers back to his chin. ‘ Do the thing. ’

‘ What thing? ’ Fionn heard a light tsk behind him before Neacel swam off through the fronds of kelp.

‘ This thing. ’ Rory’s lips met Fionn’s.

Oh, this thing, Fionn thought. This wonderful, glorious thing that had his heart pounding and his gills working overtime. Rory’s hands roamed over his back, his shoulders, his chest. He groaned into Fionn’s mouth when the shape of his cock became apparent, pressing into Rory’s stomach.

Fionn ached to ram his cock straight into Rory’s mouth and feel his throat close around it like before. In fact the force of this desire struck him so hard he felt winded by it.

‘ Yes, ’ Fionn rumbled deeply as Rory’s hand grazed over his kilt. He unwrapped the kilt in one smooth motion and let it fall away. Rory shivered, his fingers now mere inches from Fionn’s erect cock.

Fionn took hold of Rory’s wrist and guided it down. This action alone elicited a moan from Rory. His attention was utterly transfixed, anchored onto a breathless thought that made it across the soul bond to beg, More .

‘ Stroke me, ’ Fionn said into his ear.

‘ Fuck. ’ Rory’s hand clamped around him. Slid up and down his shaft. Stopped to fondle the wet slit at the tip with his thumb. Squeezed. Released. Squeezed. Released.

‘ I will knot if you continue doing that. ’

‘ Was that knot or nut? ’ Rory asked hazily. Fionn perceived Rory’s own arousal bucking painfully across the bond. It occurred to him that Rory had not found release the last time they’d done this.

That made up Fionn’s mind immediately. He dragged Rory’s hand away, to a feeble protest. Next he took hold of Rory’s hips and lifted him high in the water until his crotch was level with Fionn’s face.

Fionn grinned at the sight of Rory’s erection outlined in his tight shorts.

He grinned even wider as he ripped those shorts off and Rory let out a frantic gasp when his cock came free.