Page 42 of Where the Current Takes Him (Mermate #1)

Loriun

L oriun took a step back, as if he had been shoved. “He was born a what?”

“An Omega. But not a proper one.” Jonathan shifted uncomfortably.

“I don’t know all the details, but we grew up together and our mothers talked.

There was a period of time right after your people came that humans were being born as incomplete Omegas.

Like, their DNA hadn’t been fully altered.

Ashford’s parents did everything they could to fix him.

Not fix,” he corrected quickly. “But in their eyes, they were fixing him. When he hit puberty, that’s when they started realizing.

By then, other kids were cropping up with Omega traits and doctors were starting to research what was going on.

“We had no idea at the time, because the Mer were still in their pods. Anyway, they figured out that he had the normal human male systems, but he also had a uterus and underdeveloped scent glands. So he didn’t have that sweet smell Omegas usually have.

Not unless you got really close to him, so he just wore cologne.

When he was fifteen, he got surgery to remove his uterus, and was one of the first volunteers to test the new suppressant medication. ”

Loriun’s mind was reeling. It was all making sense now. His hatred for Omegas and the Mer, the way he offered Beau up as a lab rat… He wasn’t trying to return humanity to its original state; he was trying to fix himself.

“The clinical trials really messed him up,” Jonathan went on.

“I think that’s why he only ever had one kid.

I know Ileana wanted a huge family, but they really struggled to conceive.

When Beau was born an Omega, he was pissed.

But that’s pretty much all I know. We drifted apart when we both went off to different colleges, and now we only see each other on the holidays. ”

He shrugged. “I don’t like the person he became, but he’s still family, you know?”

“I understand.” In a way, Loriun really did understand. Family was everything to his species, especially now, on this alien world. “Thank you for trusting me.”

“Yeah, well. You’re a good boss. And this,” he gestured to his phone, “isn’t going to do anyone any good.”

Loriun gave a slight nod. “We are in agreement. I will leave you to your evening. I apologize for the late intrusion.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Kolhn. You’re just looking out for Beau. Good luck.”

The walls of the exterior hallway spun as Loriun walked to the apartment building’s exit. Ashford Montgomery, the product of the first wave of gene altering. An Omega who had mutilated his body to conform to human expectations.

An unexpected wave of sorrow twined with the tongues of flame which fueled his rage.

Had Ashford been born just a little later, into a more accepting environment, could he have lived a happy life?

Could he have accepted himself? Loriun supposed it was too late to spend his energy on these thoughts.

The damage had been done, and now it was his job to undo what he could.

His bare feet struck diamond-pale sand. The sea beckoned him closer, calling him below.

Without hesitation, Loriun launched himself into the depths.

Inky blackness stretched in every direction without moonlight to filter through the waves.

But Loriun did not need his eyes to find his way.

The powerful muscles in his lower back contracted and his tail whipped into motion.

The speedboat trips he’d been taking with Vuos and Jaime had hardened his body into a weapon of speed and strength.

At first, he could only go part of the way before needing to turn back and breathe his mate’s summer fruit scent.

With each venture, he was able to go further and further, until finally, he’d managed to get all the way to Gainesville without suffering any consequences.

He still couldn’t be away from Beau for long, but he was certain this task would not take much time at all.

Loriun allowed his mind to fade into the currents, all conscious thought swept away by Noivux’s domain. Before giving himself entirely over to the basal instinct that drove him through the water, he whispered a short prayer to an abandoned goddess.

“Aen’e Turys, yai dreiswe. Eroudae Ileana teru soifoa’xosa Turys’asi kir’e nuonumsh.” Loving Turys, I beg you. Guide Ileana from this life to your serene depths.

Hours, or possibly minutes later, a familiar dock rose in the darkness.

Orange, artificial light pierced the surface overhead.

He paused, taking deep draws of water across his gills.

Normally, a car awaited him here, but not this night.

Loriun had seen Ashford’s office on the news, and knew there was a pool connecting to the ocean somehow, built for Mer guests and diplomats.

Following his inner compass, Loriun glided along the shoreline, searching for the closest inlet to Beau’s former home.

Eventually, a small, blue light caught his attention.

It was Mer technology—made to meld with the colors of the sea.

The bubble of electricity lit the mouth of a large, marble tunnel. This had to be it.

Loriun’s body swayed from side to side, propelling himself along the passage.

More bubbles of light floated every few feet, highlighting elegant carvings of their home planet, of ancient legends, and of Mer that made history.

Any other time, he would have stopped to appreciate the artistry, but he had a much more crucial task at hand.

It took longer than he expected for the tunnel to curve up, angling toward a distant square that had to be the pool.

Loriun slowed his pace. He did not know what to expect when he surfaced.

Would Ashford be asleep in his room? Stumbling around his mansion, drunk?

Would he be at another hate group rally and away from home altogether?

Loriun’s face broke the surface without a sound. The office was dim, but something was casting the room in a yellow glow. Loriun’s fingers curled around the pool’s rim as he peered over the edge.

There he was—Ashford Montgomery, slumped over on his desk with a bottle of something brown in his hand. It dangled precariously from his fingers and the sound of snoring echoed through the high ceiling. It was a stroke of luck Loriun hardly dared believe.

He pushed himself from the water, bringing his feet squarely on the tile floor. Ashford did not stir. If that bottle had been full when he started, he would be very drunk indeed.

Loriun stood by the enormous desk and stared down at the pathetic man in its matching leather chair. He almost felt pity, seeing a once-powerful figure in this state. But a louder, more vicious part of Loriun felt satisfaction at his enemy’s downfall.

In a split second decision, Loriun slammed his tail against the desk.

“Wha’ the fuck!” Ashford half leapt to his feet but stumbled, collapsing back into his chair. He squinted bleary eyes up at the Mer standing in front of him.

“You…”

“Yes,” Loriun said, his voice quiet. “Me.”

A chilling laugh left Ashford’s lips. “Saw the news did you? Ileana…” He took a swig from his bottle. “She’s dead. Died a few days ago. Knew it was coming, but one day she was there and now… Now she’s not.”

“You did not tell Beau.” Loriun had to fight to keep his tone level. “He had to learn that he lost his mother from a news story about your new political stance on interspecies relations.”

The dismissive wave he got in response made his blood boil.

“Beaumont is the least of my concerns. He’s busy becoming a woman, too busy to be with his mother when she passed—”

“Beau is going to give birth any day now,” Loriun snapped. “It was no longer safe for him to make the journey. You had no right to keep this from him.”

“I owe him nothing,” Ashford spat. “The little slut couldn’t keep his legs closed, could he?”

Crash.

Ashford’s body hit the floor with a thud. Loriun’s tail throbbed from the contact with the old man’s sharp cheekbone.

“How dare you,” he whispered. “How dare you talk about him that way. Have you not done enough damage?”

Ashford pushed himself upright with a snarl. “Can’t damage what’s already broken. His kind should have never existed.”

“You mean your kind.”

Ashford’s face went completely slack. “What did you just say?”

“ Your kind,” Loriun repeated, more slowly this time. “Omegas. That’s what you are, isn’t it? Nothing but a self-hating Omega.”

“Who—How did you—”

“You think all that musk you coat yourself in is enough to hide your scent?” Loriun lied. “I can smell what you are, Omega.”

Ashford pushed himself away from the towering Mer. “No. No, I’m not. I am a man. A man who had a wife and a child.”

“A man, yes.” Loriun closed the gap with a single stride. “But an Omega nonetheless.”

Ashford’s lips were trembling under his thick, graying mustache. “What do you want?”

“You will step down from your position. You will let someone who is worthy of being a liaison between our species take over the role. You will never attend a Natural Order event again. You will remove all photos of Beau from public spaces, and you will never speak ill of him again. You will hold a funeral for Beau’s mother at a time he is able to attend, so that he receives the goodbye he deserves. ”

Fear and hate clashed in Ashford’s flat gaze. “Is that all?”

Loriun crouched down, his eyes burning into Ashford’s.

“Just one more.” His claws bit into his palm as his fingers curled into a fist and he struck.

A sharp crack split the air and Ashford let out a howl.

Scarlet blood gushed from his now-crooked nose, where it vanished against the bloodred scales of Loriun’s fingers.

He stood, shaking out his hand. “Think back on this moment, next time you feel the desire to do more harm.”

Loriun turned away from the crumpled man and returned to the marble-lined pool without a backward glance.