Page 9 of Where the Current Takes Him (Mermate #1)

Beau

S oft morning light filtered through gauzy curtains. Beau groaned, flinging his blankets over his head. His eyes flew open. The comforter was plush, and smelled of down. The sheets were crisp and cool beneath him.

It took several moments of staring blankly around the room to remember where he was.

The walls in this room were painted a shade of beige that reminded him of seashells, and his puffy duvet was cloaked in a natural linen cover.

Even with the windows shut, the scent of sea breeze drifted through the room.

Seeing it all in the daylight somehow made it more real. Beau couldn’t decide if the tightness in his stomach was nerves or excitement. He was free from under the thumb of his father, but he also knew that there was a waiting crib just one floor above him.

Despite being born an Omega, he’d never seriously considered children. He figured he’d bounce around the local gay bars until his father kicked the bucket, then settle down with a lonely millionaire on his last legs. Beau was accustomed to a certain lifestyle after all.

But now, everything had changed, and he’d only had twenty-four hours to wrap his head around it.

An absent hand rested on his belly. He tried to imagine what it would be like to feel a responding kick. He shivered and swung his legs out of bed. He’d come to terms with pregnancy some other day.

A muffled bang froze him in place.

“Beau?” The voice sent vibrations down his spine. Loriun.

Hastily, Beau tugged the door open to see the Alpha in his kitchen, bearing a large paper bag.

Those startling eyes met his, then roved down his body. Beau realized he was wearing nothing but a thin tank top and gray sweatpants, leaving very little to the imagination.

Loriun on the other hand, was dressed in light tan slacks and a collared shirt of robin’s egg blue. The sleeves were once again rolled up to reveal his taut forearms. Beau was not prepared to see the Mer in the light of day.

The skin on his arms glittered with vibrantly teal scales, edged with a scarlet fin along the bone.

His throat was nearly a human skin tone, but refracted the sun in the palest seafoam green.

Beau could now see that delicate, red webs spanned between long, powerful fingers, and his nails were vaguely sharp and curved.

The scarlet scales at his fingertips added a level of menace, like he’d dipped them in blood.

Loriun cleared his throat. “You look… refreshed.”

Beau flushed. What the hell does that mean?

“I didn’t expect to see you so early,” he muttered.

“No,” Loriun said, his brows furrowing. “I didn’t mean… You look lovely.”

Beau snorted. “Thanks. But I don’t think I believe you when you’re dressed like that .”

The Mer frowned, looking down at himself. “I believed this to be quite popular among humans in business—”

“It’s not bad!” Beau interrupted, feeling his flush deepening. “I mean you look hot as hell—” He clamped his jaw shut.

Literally, what is WRONG with you?

Loriun blinked at him for a moment. Then, cedar and pine washed over Beau’s senses, and the Alpha gave him an uncharacteristic grin.

“I appreciate the compliment.”

Beau wanted to flee the country.

“Anyway…” Loriun set his paper bag on the counter and pushed it in Beau’s direction. “I brought you croissants. That’s a breakfast food, right?”

“Absolutely.” Humiliation mostly forgotten in lieu of buttery bread, Beau slid into one of the bar stools that lined the side of the kitchen island. When he peered inside the bag, he couldn’t help the laughter that burst from his lips.

There had to be at least thirty croissants inside. “Is this breakfast for the next week?”

“Is it too much? I’m not quite sure how much humans eat.”

“Two of these would have probably been enough.” Beau struggled to straighten his face.

Loriun looked shocked. “Two? Are you serious?”

“Why? How much do Mer eat?”

The Mer eyed the croissants. “We cannot digest your dairy products, so I am unsure how much it is in terms of bakery items.”

Curiosity sparked. “Then what do you usually have for breakfast?”

“This morning, I had alligator steak and seaweed salad.”

Beau choked on his croissant. “Alligator?”

“It is quite good. I suppose it weighed approximately three pounds.”

“Three—”

“But Mer Alphas require significantly more calories than Omegas.”

“Yeah,” Beau managed. “Sounds like it. So, uh, why are you here?”

The crimson fins that framed Loriun’s face sank. “Do you not wish me to be here?”

“No!” Beau said hastily. “Sorry, that came out wrong. I mean, what brings you here? Are you just giving me breakfast?”

Moron.

“Your medical checkup is today. Were you informed by the doctors in Gainesville?”

“Oh.” Beau swallowed hard. “Right.”

The Mer appraised his dull expression. “You do not want to go.”

“Not really. Does anyone like going to the hospital?”

“This is not a human hospital. This is an Omega clinic. You will receive the best care and the utmost respect.”

His eyes reminded Beau of tidal pools, even as they burned into his own.

When Beau simply nodded, Loriun frowned. “Would you like me to stay with you at the clinic? Or will that add to your discomfort?”

Beau’s first instinct was to tell the Alpha that he’d be fine and could go alone. He didn’t want to inconvenience Loriun when he was clearly on his way to work. But when he opened his mouth to say it, the words wouldn’t come.

Instead, he said, “I’d like that.”

The thought of strolling into an unknown medical center, staffed by literal aliens, and doing it alone was all too much.

The Alpha’s presence might at least make him feel a little more secure.

After all, Beau’s body was his bargaining chip here.

Loriun wouldn’t let the future bearer of his children come to harm.

I hope.

Loriun offered him a small smile. “I will wait here while you get ready to leave.”

When Beau attempted to fill his lungs with a calming breath, he was inundated with the tarpine scent of Loriun’s pheromones. His gray sweatpants did little to contain the sudden hardness within.

To Beau’s shock, a faint rivulet of slick began to trickle from his body. Either his heat suppressant dose was lower than he thought, or Alpha pheromones were more powerful than he’d imagined.

“Are you…” Beau closed his eyes as his cock throbbed, stiffening to a point of near-pain. “Are you doing that on purpose?”

Loriun narrowed his eyes. “Doing what?”

“No, nothing.” Beau seized the paper bag of croissants and held it over the evidence of his arousal. “I’ll go get changed.”

Utterly humiliating.

He rummaged through the suitcase that still lay open on the floor of the bedroom, looking for something that would look acceptable in contrast to the stunning Mer in the next room, and also thinking very hard about his grandmother.

By the time Beau emerged from the bedroom, he was both presentable in an airy short-sleeve button down, and fully flaccid. He forced a smile and said, “Let’s get going, then.”

Loriun scanned him from head to toe. “You look wonderful.”

“Thank you,” Beau mumbled. He’d never received this many compliments in such a short time span and was unsure how to accept them with grace. So, instead, he grabbed his wallet off the counter and half-ran out the front door.

∞∞∞

If Loriun hadn’t pulled into the parking lot, Beau wouldn’t have believed this place was a clinic. The structure looked more like a fairytale cottage, with climbing vines and flower beds accenting the butter-yellow siding. A small sign hanging beside the entrance read, “Poseidon Omega Clinic.”

A scarlet-scaled hand reached out and opened the door for him.

“Oh. Thanks.” Beau scuttled inside to find a little waiting area designed to look like a hobbit’s living room, and a kind-faced Mer Omega at the reception desk. His scales and fins were fully retracted, unlike most other Mer on the island, and he could almost be mistaken for human.

“Good morning,” he said with a reassuring smile. “Can I have your name please?”

“Beau… mont Montgomery.” He hated using his government name.

“Ah yes, we’ve been expecting you, Beaumont.”

Before Beau could correct the receptionist, Loriun’s low voice slid across his ears. “He prefers Beau. Please add that to his file.”

“Right away, Mr. Kolhn.” The Omega dipped his head slightly before typing a quick note into his computer. “Okay, Beau. Follow me, and I’ll take you to the examination room. Your Alpha can wait in the—”

“I will be accompanying him.”

The receptionist shot Beau a questioning glance.

“Yes.” Beau nodded. “He can come.”

A wide hand rested lightly on his lower back as he and Loriun followed the receptionist into a hallway. Even this space looked like it had been ripped straight out of somebody’s great aunt’s house.

There were only three examination rooms, and each appeared to be empty.

“Do you not have many Omegas in this area?” Beau asked. “I’ve never been in a clinic this small.”

“Oh, that’s not the reason,” the receptionist answered.

“We find that many humans experience discomfort or fear in medical settings. To combat this issue, we have opened many small clinics specifically designed to put our patients at ease. We have received excellent feedback on this particular arrangement.”

“I can see why,” Beau agreed. He hadn’t even had one heart palpitation—unheard of for him.

“I’m glad to hear that.” The receptionist’s eyes crinkled in a genuine smile as he reached for the light in the first exam room.

This room was slightly more sterile, likely for health and safety reasons, but an antique lamp still stood in the corner, and the examination chair at the center had been made to resemble a recliner.

“Please wait here and the doctor will be with you shortly.” The receptionist backed out of the room, closing the door as he went.

Despite the clinic’s best efforts, the harsh fluorescents in the room made Beau tense up. He moved the few steps to the exam chair and perched himself on edge. His fingers intertwined and the knuckles went white.

There were stirrups on either side of the chair that he really didn’t like the look of.

“Beau, everything will be fine,” Loriun rumbled, his eyes on Beau’s face. “I’m sure you are healthy, and the process is quick.”

Beau sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his history with doctors and hospitals.

Trauma-dumping on a veritable stranger was bad manners.

Still, he couldn’t entirely prevent the flashes of memory resurfacing.

The nauseated sensation of having too much blood drawn.

Stress tests that only ended when he was certain he would die.

Internal biopsy samples taken without pain relief.

By the time the doctor entered the room, the sound of the door handle turning had Beau practically jumping out of his skin. He was another Omega. He wore the white coat any human would expect, and was fully retracted into his humanoid form, though the edge of his lilac ear fins were just visible.

“Good morning…” The doctor glanced down at a tablet in his hands, “Beau. I’m Dr. Enas.

My deepest apologies, but we only just received your medical history from your previous doctor last night.

I’ve only had time to skim your most recent tests.

It looks like all your hormone and pheromone levels are normal, and none of the tests produced worrying results. ”

From a leather chair by the wall, Loriun murmured, “See? Everything is just fine.”

Beau’s muscles loosened by only a fraction. He knew he’d have to receive a physical exam, but didn’t exactly know what that entailed. Would they force him onto a treadmill and see how long it took him to fall unconscious? Or just jam an unreasonably sharp probe up his ass?

The doctor was still staring down at the tablet, a line in his forehead growing deeper and deeper. His wide, amber eyes darted across the screen, reading something that was evidently quite lengthy. At last, he looked back up at Beau and smiled, though something about it felt forced.

“All we need to do today is a rectocervical exam. You likely haven’t had one before, but I assure you it is quick and painless. I’ll step out of the room for a few minutes so you can change into a gown. You’ll find them in that cabinet over there. Perhaps your Alpha should also…?”

Loriun ran a hand through his shock of ginger hair and got to his feet. “Of course. I’ll give you some privacy.”

Within moments, Beau was alone.