Page 40 of Where the Current Takes Him (Mermate #1)

Beau

B eau resurfaced in their living room, grasping blindly for the pool’s edge. His hand trailed along it until his feet touched the ramp Loriun had installed the moment Beau grew too big to haul himself out of the pool. The lights were still off, as the sun had still been out when they left

A loud splash heralded Loriun pushing himself over the pool edge. Beau’s legs sloshed up the ramp where he was met with a towel in the shallow water. Loriun gently dried his hair and body before wrapping him up and depositing him on the sofa.

He moved back toward the kitchen, and Beau went for the oversized TV. It was still set to the news channel Loriun typically watched in the mornings, once the caffeine had kicked in.

“Just last week, Head of Interspecies Relations, Ashford Montgomery, was reelected for a fourth term. This marks the beginning of his sixteenth consecutive year in the position. While his campaign promises were overwhelmingly generalized, Montgomery’s first moves in the new term have been anything but. ”

Beau sat forward, the remaining pleasure in his limbs fizzling out.

“It has long been suspected that Montgomery was a sympathizer of the extremist group, the Natural Order of Humans Opposed to Mermated Omegas. As of this morning, there is no longer any doubt.”

Beau’s blood ran cold.

“Montgomery spoke at a Natural Order event last night, denouncing the Omega programs put in place two decades ago."

The shot cut to a bright stage, surrounded by a crowd of thousands. Beau let out a choked cry. Behind the familiar silhouette of his father was a photo, blown up to serve as a backdrop.

It was his own face, wearing a soft smile, and gazing down at a distended belly. Facing him, with his tail swept up into a crescent to cover his mate’s chest, was Loriun. His scarlet fingers draped over Beau’s own hands, where they rested together on the swell of his stomach.

He stole our paternity photos.

“What the fuck.” Loriun’s voice was nothing short of deadly. “Is this.”

On screen, Beau’s father had begun screeching into the microphone.

“They have come to tear our families—no, our very way of life apart. To desecrate the human form and to bastardize our men. Look what they have done to my own son!”

His father whipped around and stabbed a finger up at the photo.

“My only son, destroyed by the Mer just months before my wife’s passing.”

His wife’s what? Surely, Beau had misheard…

“The day that filthy creature got his hands on my boy, that child died, and his mother followed soon after. My family is gone. Gone because of the Mer.”

The screen went black. Loriun was beside him now, holding the remote in a shaking hand. Beau had always known his father was cruel, but he never imagined it would come to this.

Is she… really gone?

His vision blurred. For a second, he didn’t realize what was happening. Then, a hot tear cascaded down his cheek.

“Beau…” The fury that had been radiating from the Alpha melted away. He dropped to the sofa and gathered his Omega into his arms. Beau buried his face in his mate’s shoulder and gave himself over to the pain that clawed at his chest. Neither of them spoke.

Loriun’s arms crushed Beau to his chest and his fingers curled like vices around the Omega’s shoulders. They stayed like that for a long time.