Page 10 of Where the Current Takes Him (Mermate #1)

Beau

A nxiety coiled and thrashed in Beau’s gut as he slid his jeans off and unbuttoned his shirt.

He knew that one more invasive procedure on top of all the others shouldn’t bother him this much, but he could count the number of men who’d been granted access into his body on one hand. Okay, maybe two hands. And a foot.

When Beau pulled the decorative cabinet open, he found gowns in a range of sizes, each one patterned with fish. He couldn’t stop a nervous giggle from slipping out.

He placed his clothes in the designated basket at the bottom of the cabinet and returned to his chair, trying not to look too closely at the stirrups.

Now that he was sitting still, he could hear a muffled conversation taking place beyond the door.

One of the voices sounded like Loriun. It was low and somehow urgent.

Or angry? Had the doctor found something wrong? Did HIPAA even exist here?

The voices fell silent, and a few moments later, the two Mer returned. Dr. Enas’s forehead was still lined with concern, but Loriun’s face had completely transformed. His eyes blazed in their sockets, and his long fingers were clenched into fists. A muscle in his sculpted jaw was flickering.

Something is definitely wrong.

“Beau,” Loriun gritted out. “I understand that you may not want me in the room for this kind of exam. Would you like me to wait outside for a few minutes?”

Is that what he’s angry about? Does he not want to leave?

The thought of having the ethereally beautiful Alpha in the room with him while a doctor stuck a probe up inside him was thoroughly unappealing.

“Maybe, just for a few minutes,” Beau replied in a small voice.

Loriun reached for the door handle without question. “I will be just outside if you need me.”

Despite the embarrassment of being spread eagle in front of the Omega doctor, the exam truly wasn’t all that bad. It was over in less than two minutes.

“Everything looks good, Beau,” Dr. Enas said, peeling off his gloves.

“You seem to be a perfectly healthy, young Omega. Now, I’ll need to see you again when you’re ready to start growing your family.

We’ll reduce your suppressant dosage in safe increments until your body is ready for heat cycles when the time comes. Do you have any questions for me?”

“Is there something wrong with my file?” The question had circumnavigated his mental filter and traveled directly to his mouth.

Dr. Enas paused. “In regards to your current health, no. I was just… surprised by the number of tests you’ve undergone. It seems that your former doctors put you through a lot of unnecessary procedures.”

Beau shrugged. “There’s a lot they don’t know about human Omegas. My father—well. I was… available.”

Dr. Enas gave him a hard look. “From the time you were five?”

Beau remained silent.

“Well,” the Mer said. “I can assure you that we do not conduct our medical practices in that way. Your comfort and wellbeing is our priority. Now, go ahead and get dressed. You and your Alpha may return to the reception desk when you have finished.”

∞∞∞

Beau sat in the luxuriously wide passenger seat of Loriun’s car, clutching a packet of test results, flyers, and wellness pamphlets.

A soothing, cool mist rained down from the roof of the vehicle, and a large gap in the seat back stood ready to accommodate a tail.

Any other time, Beau would have been fascinated by the adaptations, but a much more pressing matter held his attention.

Beside him, Loriun’s fingers were clenched around the steering wheel, and the tendons in his forearms stood out beneath the faint shimmer of his skin.

A wave of pine, cedar, and musk filled the car, but not in the way that too often made Beau’s dick twitch. Fury radiated from every inch of the Mer, in stark contrast to the idyllic island scenery flying by.

Beau peered sidelong at him, fear thrumming through his veins.

“Loriun—”

“Explain,” Loriun growled through clenched teeth.

Beau trembled under the weight of the Alpha’s command. “Explain what?”

“Why your medical history is rife with inhumane tests and procedures.”

Beau felt the blood drain from his face. “Dr. Enas told you…?”

“Not,” Loriun said through gritted teeth, “in detail. Only that your file holds more tests than a dozen humans combined. And that it has been going on since you were a child.” His voice broke, almost imperceptibly, at the final word.

“I…” Beau stared down at his lap. Explaining without incriminating his father would be nearly impossible, and incriminating his father likely meant he’d never see his mother again.

“What did they do to you?” It was more of a demand than a question.

“Just… research. Humans don’t have all that much data on Omegas, and… they… I’m an Omega, so…” Beau trailed off.

“Tell me. What. They. Did.” The steering wheel looked moments away from shattering under Loriun’s grip.

“Blood tests, a lot of them,” Beau said at last. “Stress tests. Biopsies. Some exploratory surgery—”

The car jerked to the left as Loriun snapped his head around to stare at Beau. “Surgery?”

“Only a few—”

“And were any of them medically necessary?”

Beau was quiet for a few minutes, listening to the sound of Loriun’s tightly controlled breathing.

“No,” he finally whispered. “They weren’t.”

Loriun’s jaw tightened even further, but he remained silent. The car flew by bulbous trees and waving vines, all in shades of purple.

“Um. Are we going somewhere else?” Beau ventured. His head was beginning to spin from the furious pheromones that filled the cab.

The Mer took a slow, deep breath before answering. “I thought you might like to do some sightseeing, after an appointment you found unpleasant.”

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought.” Internally, Beau’s stomach gave a little squirm at the gesture of kindness.

“Regardless. I have seen that humans often reward themselves after completing a difficult task.” The cloying musk and pine was dissipating, and Loriun’s fingers no longer seemed at risk of crunching through the steering wheel.

“There is an observation deck at the top of the tallest building on the island. I was going to take you there, so you could see your new home in its entirety.”

His brilliant eyes flickered to Beau. “Unless you have a fear of heights… I did not consider that possibility.”

Beau shook his head, a smile spreading across his lips. “I’d love to go.”

Though the island was named for Florida’s former capital city, it was significantly smaller than its namesake.

It took only twenty minutes to drive inland from the more residential coast. Here, the buildings looked more like the mainland—towering office buildings, red brick apartments, corner shops, and innumerable seafood restaurants.

Loriun kept quiet, occasionally pointing out landmarks, while Beau found himself glued to the window.

Humans and Mer alike walked the busy sidewalks, some Mer dressed in typical business attire, and others clearly in Miami for tourism.

An Alpha stood at the crosswalk, canary yellow fins flashing in the sun.

His tail looked nothing like Vuos and Loriun’s, but rather ended in two sharp points. He reminded Beau of a yellowfin tuna.

“Loriun?”

“Mm?”

“Are there…” Beau felt stupid for asking. “Are there different kinds of Mer?”

The car rolled to a stop at the red light, and Loriun followed Beau’s gaze. The yellow Mer passed in front of their car. The vivid color merged with a deep brown at his face and throat.

“His lineage is different from mine, yes. My…” Loriun paused, brow furrowing. “I am not sure how to translate ‘oimas’ into English. I supposed the closest would be ‘species,’ but that sounds too animalistic.”

“Race?” Beau suggested.

Loriun shook his head. “Your concept of race defies logic. It is a highly flawed human invention. Maybe ‘ethnicity’ is better. My ethnicity comes from colder waters, near the poles of our home planet. Mer like him,” Loriun gestured to the unfamiliar Alpha, “come from the equatorial regions.”

The light turned green. Beau watched the strange Mer vanish into the crowd. “So he really is like a yellowfin tuna.”

Loriun cringed. “I would strongly advise against comparing any Mer to an Earth fish. It may be seen as offensive.”

Beau clapped a hand over his mouth. “Sorry.”

The Mer just chuckled and pulled into a dim parking garage.

Even in the low light, Loriun’s scales glittered as he led the way to the elevator.

His coiled, red hair cascaded between his shoulder blades, falling to the center of his back.

His tail was retracted, but the crimson fins at his ears were still visible.

Loriun stepped inside the elevator and caught Beau’s eye. He raised a brow. “Yes?”

Beau felt his face go scarlet. “Nothing. I just… I really like your hair.”

I really like your hair?! Fuck me.

The Alpha smiled, stretching one long finger to the top button. “Thank you. Long hair is customary for my people. Some Mer might tell you it symbolizes grace, or strength, or the currents, but it’s actually just quite difficult to cut.”

“Difficult?” Beau lifted a curious hand, but caught himself. “Uh. Can I… touch it?”

“Of course.” Loriun tipped his head down slightly, allowing the locks to tumble from his shoulders.

Beau ran his fingers through the vibrant strands. It felt so strange—like wire wrapped in silk. Though he had never braided anyone’s hair once in his life, Beau was suddenly consumed by an all-encompassing urge to learn how.

He let his hand fall when the doors opened.

A handful of humans milled about the wide open space, but the majority of the crowd were Mer—unsurprising, considering humans could only move here for work or mating. Loriun and Beau navigated their way to the glass walls, beyond which the entire island stretched.

The center of the island was dotted with tall buildings and city blocks, but as the violet vegetation grew thicker, and roads curved their way to the coast, city life gave way to beachside homes.

“Wow,” Beau whispered. “It looks so beautiful from up here.”

“Only from up here?” Loriun stood so close, his taut stomach was nearly touching Beau’s arm.

Beau looked up at the Alpha. He wasn’t used to feeling so small.

He’d be lucky if his hair brushed Loriun’s perfectly pointed chin.

“It’s beautiful from the ground too,” he clarified, turning back to the window.

“But seeing how human architecture fades out to Mer-style housing… The Merma—Paeil is a unique place.”

“It is,” Loriun agreed.