Page 6 of Where the Current Takes Him (Mermate #1)

Beau

T ime passed by much faster than Beau had anticipated, possibly because he’d spent most of the trip mesmerized by Vuos breaching the surface of the water alongside their vessel. As the sun fell, its orange glow lit his emerald scales ablaze. Beau was pretty sure he’d seen the Alpha wink at him.

“Here we are,” Jaime announced, slowing the boat as he steered toward the dock. Just ahead, what appeared to be a massive, green sea monster hauled itself out and onto the bobbing wood. Vuos grabbed hold of a rope and shot a broad grin at his mate.

“Ah, I love watching him surface after a swim,” Jaime sighed.

Beau kept his mouth shut because he felt it would be inappropriate to say, “Me too.”

The moment the speedboat’s side touched the dock bumper, Vuos set to work anchoring it.

“Why thank you, handsome,” Jaime said, batting his eyelashes. “Come here often?”

Vuos gave a good-natured groan and held a jet hand out to his mate. Jaime took it and stepped out and onto the dock.

Beau went to grab his suitcase, wondering how exactly he was going to haul it off board without falling spectacularly into the sea.

“I’ve got it,” Vuos rumbled. His voice was even lower than Beau had imagined.

“Oh, uh, thank you.” Beau could feel his cheeks heating as the Mer helped him off the boat, then retrieved his suitcase, using that rudder-like tail as a balance. Vuos’s hand was so silky and smooth—nothing like a human hand after spending two hours underwater.

But all thoughts of Vuos vanished the moment Beau looked toward the island.

It was a chunk of alien soil, excised from the Mer’s home planet itself.

Impossibly large leaves with long, pointed tips danced in the ocean breeze.

They ranged in shades of purple, from pale lilac to deepest plum.

They were supported by thick stems and bulbous trunks.

The beach itself was a starry white, as if the sand had been ground from diamonds.

Beyond the lush, sparkling shores, unnervingly human high-rises loomed against scudding clouds.

“Incredible isn’t it?” Jaime said, eyeing him.

“Yeah,” Beau managed. “Incredible.”

Reality came crashing back down when Vuos said, “Your Alpha wanted to meet you properly. He’s waiting for you at the Sea Glass. It’s just a few minutes up the beach.”

Oh god, I’m going to meet him. What if he’s horrible and controlling? What if he’s violent? Or what if he’s stunning and perfect, and thinks I’m a five?

Evidently his downward spiral showed on his face, because a webbed hand with coal black skin and obsidian claws touched his shoulder.

“I know it’s scary,” Vuos said gently. “This is a big change for you and it’s a lot to take in all at once.”

“You could say that,” Beau croaked.

“But I’ve heard enough about Loriun to know he’s a good Alpha,” Vuos went on. “I’ve got friends who work for Ikatere Desalination. He’ll treat you right if you just give him a chance.”

Beau’s lungs ceased their rhythm.

Loriun. His Alpha’s name was Loriun.

“Come on.” Jaime took his arm. “Let’s get going. Vuos will take care of your luggage. See you at home, darling,” he added to his mate. Vuos leaned down to peck him on the lips, and disappeared down a path between the trees.

The air around Beau felt electrified. Like his veins and nerves were being strummed by a thousand fingers. He shivered.

“It’s the pheromones,” Jaime said. “They can be a lot when you first land on the Mermades. Just make sure you’re taking your heat suppressant and it’ll get easier to manage. I thought I was dying my first day here.”

“How did you meet your mate if you already knew him before the first Omega initiative?” Beau knew he was being nosy, but he couldn’t help it. He needed a distraction from the flood that was overwhelming his system.

Jaime laughed. “I was an emotional twenty-something and a hopeless romantic with a love for the sea. We met on an isolated beach near my childhood home. Vuos was supposed to be charting the new shorelines after the final rise in sea levels. Instead, he found me, sitting on a rock and staring dramatically into the sunset. We kept our relationship quiet for a few years, until the Omega program was announced.”

Beau smiled, despite the anxiety gnawing at his stomach.

He hadn’t considered the possibility of actually falling in love.

Even now, he hardly dared to imagine it.

From the moment he’d sat down in his father’s office that morning, up until stepping off the boat on Mermade Miami, all Beau had been able to imagine was a gilded cage.

A prop for government propaganda. Living proof that his father wasn’t as anti-Omega as his associations made him out to be.

But now, at Jaime’s words, the faintest spark of hope bloomed. What if he fell in love? Was it possible for him to have what Jaime and Vuos had? Or would it be as he predicted? A prisoner at worst, a pampered surrogate at best.

Beau was so caught up in thoughts of the future that he didn’t immediately notice Jaime had stopped walking.

Just ahead was a magnificent, glass building.

Each pane twinkled with candlelight and reflections of the last dregs of sunset.

A sign above the entrance read, “Sea Glass Fine Dining.” Below the English letters were a series of incomprehensible markings that Beau assumed to be the Mer language.

Humans were not afforded the opportunity to learn it.

Not until the two species had reached a state of peaceful coexistence.

Jaime gripped him by the shoulders. “Try to relax. He’s going to love you.

He’ll be the envy of every Alpha in the room, with a human like you on his arm.

Try to think of this as an interview for him, not you.

Alphas are a dime a dozen. Voluntary human Omegas are an oasis in the middle of Death Valley. ”

Beau forced a laugh. Voluntary. Right.

“So get in there, and make him sweat!” Jaime beamed.

Panic welled in Beau’s chest. “But how will I know which one he is?”

Jaime’s smile faded. “What do you mean? Haven’t you seen his photo?”

“I didn’t even know his name until Vuos said it.”

“What kind of program—” The color drained from Jaime’s face. “Beau, are you not here because you want to be?” His voice was low and urgent. “Did someone force you?”

Beau sighed. “No, I volunteered.”

Jaime’s mouth tightened. “Then, how exactly was Loriun selected for you?”

“My father said he gave a big donation to his reelection campaign or something.” Beau shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“Yes it matters!” Jaime hissed. “That sounds a whole lot like bribery and human trafficking. I can’t believe Loriun—” Jaime stopped.

“Listen if you need to get out, you call me. Got it?” A business card with a simple wave design made its way into Beau’s pocket.

“I’m serious. If this is as shady as it sounds, you are under no obligation to stay here. Promise you’ll call if you need to.”

“I promise.” Though Beau knew he’d never be able to take Jaime up on his offer, he was still grateful someone cared.

The older man let out a breath. “Alright. I’ve met Loriun once or twice at publicity events. He’s easy to pick out in a crowd. Bright red hair, kinda slim for an Alpha, but tall with teal scales.” He eyed Beau. “Want me to walk you in?

For a moment, Beau really considered it. But it felt an awful lot like a parent walking him into class on the first day of school. “No,” he said. “I’ll go in by myself.”

Jaime didn’t argue, just rested a reassuring hand on his upper arm and gestured toward the entrance.

Beau closed his eyes for a moment, trying in vain to steel his nerves.

This was it. Before his legs could make an instinctual run for it, Beau forced them to stride toward the crystalline doors.

They slid open at his approach, exposing an elegant, maple host stand and a smiling woman just behind it.

He’d been seen—there was no going back now.

“Welcome to Sea Glass Fine Dining,” she said. If she was surprised by the sudden appearance of a human, her face didn’t show it.

Her thick strands of hair had been ornately coiled into a twisting bun atop her head—a style that would be impossible for flimsy human hair.

Delicate silvery fins flared from the sides of her face, and Beau realized her skin was visibly scaled, almost like she was still in full Mer form.

Her eyes were overlarge and liquid black.

“Um. Hi, I’m supposed to be meeting someone…”

“Name?” she asked, peering down at a list on the stand.

“Loriun…” Beau paused. Oh god I don’t even know his last name.

Either the ma?tre d' hadn’t noticed or she was gracefully ignoring his fumbling. “Ah, yes, Loriun Kolhn,” she responded, eyes still on her clipboard. “Please follow me, Mr. Montgomery.”

With another bright, customer service smile, the Mer led Beau to a set of beautiful stairs made of maple wood planks and gleaming cast iron railing. As he trailed along behind her, he noted that her tail was retracted. Was it possible for them to be in a state of partial shift?

Pondering the mysteries of Mer biology was helping to distract his racing mind. He felt as though his blood had been replaced with pure adrenaline. He hardly noticed the eyes of Alphas at surrounding tables. Inhumanly beautiful men, gazing at Beau like he was a vintage Bordeaux at a wine tasting.

The second floor was nearly silent, with nothing but the sound of gentle violin in the air. More plants grew from recesses along the glass walls, though their leaves boasted the telltale green of earthly flora.

“Your guest has arrived, Mr. Kolhn,” the ma?tre d' murmured.

Beau’s lungs were completely paralyzed. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to the single table that occupied the room.

Eyes of the clearest aqua, like sunlight through shallow waters. A deep ring of abyssal blue around the iris. And at the center, a burst of scarlet that seared into Beau’s soul.

I am so fucked.