by Kelex
His instinct roared within his mind, but he struggled to understand how these two males could truly be his. They were of two different worlds. Vastly different worlds. In his, mating with anyone but his own kind was illegal. His father would never accept the throupling. They’d have to be on the run the rest of their lives and that was no way to exist.
He spied them both as they cuddled around him. Llyr felt safe and warm in their strong embrace. He never desired to leave these two.
His mates.
Tears stung behind his eyes. Could the fates truly be that cruel to give him two humans he could never have?
Llyr lay there, listening to their breathing steady and eventually slow. They held him close, even in slumber. He labored to find sleep once he realized he belonged to them—comprehending he’d never be allowed to fulfil that destiny.
Gray morning light filled the cabin as the sun rose. From his vantage point on the bed, he could see the sun rising above the horizon in the most majestic event he’d ever witnessed. There was such beauty in the world above the sea—and he wished to witness it all.
Of course, he missed some parts of his life there.
But he’d never felt truly alive until he’d met them.
He swallowed back the tears and closed his eyes, attempting to rest. Reaching for the pendant one last time, he ensured it was still around his neck before drifting off.
9
The morning air was brisk as Oz sipped from his coffee cup. He leaned against the starboard railing of the bridge, searching the water for signs of the monsters trailing them. Though he’d expended enough energy to sleep for days, he’d slept little the night before. Between the battle and the sex that followed, he was exhausted—yet his body refused to calm.
He had a crew to protect.
And his Dagr and Llyr.
A smile came to his lips as he brought the cup for another sip. He already thought of Llyr as his.
No. Theirs. Their merman.
Alas, he could truly have neither male.
Not forever. But for now, they were his.
“Cap’n?”
Oz turned to see their quartermaster ambling closer, hat in hand. “Ah, yes, Mr. Tyler? How are our injured?”
“Improved this mornin’, sir. I think our guest has a better hand at healin’ than tha ole doc ever did.”
“I noticed how well he tended to the men.”
“Aye,” Mr. Tyler. “But tha men hav’ been murmurin’ all night. They were wonderin’ how Mr. Llyr was able ta force tha beasts back. Is he… a witch?” Mr. Tyler clutched at his hat tighter. “Never heard of a man bein’ a witch ‘fore, though.”
“He’s no witch—but he does have a protection spell cast over him.” A thought swept into his mind. If his crew caught wind of what Llyr was, they might wish their merman harm. Best to nip the rumors as best he could. “It’s why he survived when he was in the water. That spell saved him.”
Mr. Tyler’s mouth and eyes widened. “So tha’s why. Makes more sense now.” The quartermaster shook his head. “Mus’ be sum spell ta give him thus. We should all be so blessed.”
“Aye,” Oz murmured. But then he realized he’d just put a target on Llyr’s pendant. “I almost thought of taking it for myself. Too bad it can only work for him.”
Mr. Tyler lifted a brow. “Ye would steal from Mr. Llyr?”
“A bounty that good? Tell me the thought didn’t drift into your mind.”
Mr. Tyler chuckled. “Drifted? Aye. Perchance it did.” He stood a little straighter. “But I would never.”
“Of course not,” Oz replied with a smile. “You are an honorable man. One I hear would be interested in the captaining of this boat in the future.”
“Aye, sir. Yes, I would. Very much so.”
Oz smiled and nodded. “Good. I’m glad we understand one another.”
“Well, I thought ya should know, Cap’n. Tha men are a bit afeared o’ Mr. Llyr. But I can tell ‘em wot ya jus’ tole me. Should keep ‘em calmed until we reach home.”
“Trust me when I say they have nothing to worry about from Llyr. We only have a couple more days til home.”
Mr. Tyler smiled. “I’m ready. Most definitely.”
Oz searched the surface. “How long have the creatures been in hiding?”
“Wasn’t long after ye and tha other gents went ta yer cabin fer tha night.”
Oz strove not to let heat darken his face. He lifted his stare to Mr. Tyler, refusing to be shamed for his attraction to the two men in his bed. “And what do the men say about that?”
Mr. Tyler’s eyes widened. He was silent a moment, as if he chose his words carefully. Oz braced himself, unsure he’d like what eventually fell from the man’s lips. “Cap’n, we’re no’ blind nor deaf. I’ve seen tha signs of yer care fer tha commander. Now I see tha same look in yer eyes fer Mr. Llyr. Matters no’ ta me who ya spend yer time wiff. Ye and the commander have always been good ta me and mine. I’d reckon tha other men are of similar mind. They’d be long gone, if otherwise.”
“Good to know,” Oz murmured. He gazed past Mr. Tyler to see Llyr striding out of their cabin wearing only a blanket around him. Bare legs and feet peeked from the bottom, summoning Oz’s delight. “Especially now.”
Mr. Tyler shot Llyr a glance. When the quartermaster turned back around, his face was deep red. “I’ll be lettin’ ye chat wiff Mr. Llyr.”
Llyr smiled and waved to their quartermaster. “How are the injured men faring?”
“Very well, thanks ta ye, Mr. Llyr.”
Llyr smiled and sighed, a contented sound. “That’s magnificent news. I’ll come later to help check their wounds and see if there’s anything I can do to be of aid.”
“Aye, Mr. Llyr,” the man said with a slight bow before escaping down to the main deck.
Llyr walked closer before leaning onto the railing, a gentle smile on his face. The breeze caught his flaming hair and tossed it about. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” Oz glanced down at Llyr’s body hidden with the blanket. A wave of lust rolled over him. “I have told you that you can use any of my clothing.”
“I am well aware,” Llyr said. “I’m not accustomed to wearing clothing. I thought my skin could use a bit of a break.”
“It had a break all night last night,” Oz said with a mischievous grin.
“That, it did. Although, as much as the two of you covered me, I doubt it got much of a rest.”
Oz chuckled.
Llyr glanced out over the water, his smile fading. “Where are they?”
“Mr. Tyler said they disappeared soon after we went to my cabin. I doubt they’ve gone far.”
“The pendant is supposed to keep them from my trail. Do you think we somehow lost them?”
“I know less about that magic than you do, so I’m not the one to ask.”
“Odd that they’d simply disappear. I mean, they realize I’m aboard this ship… even with the magic repelling them, you’d think they’d follow in her wake.”
“Only the witch who crafted it could tell us. Any chances of that happening?”
“No… not unless she suddenly appears.”
Oz lifted his cup to his lips. Llyr watched him before glancing in the cup. “What is that? It smells intriguing.”
“Coffee.”
“I’ve never heard of it before. Is it like your whiskey?” Llyr winced.
“Still not recovered from your first taste of hard spirits, hmm?” Oz shook his head. “No… coffee is quite the opposite of whiskey. Here, have a taste.”
He lifted the cup to Llyr’s lips. Llyr looked up from the rim, a seductive air in his eyes. How their merman thought he was a failure at seduction was beyond Oz. Llyr took a small sip before frowning and pulling away.
“Bitter.” He smacked his lips together. “Yet not wholly distasteful.”
Oz grinned. “Perhaps you might be a tea person.”
“What’s that?”
Oz grinned, excitemen
t filling him. There was something so rousing at the thought of sharing an entire world with Llyr. He’d be able to see things for the first time through the merman’s eyes. Watching as he tried new experiences… tasting the world… one delicious bite at a time.
Then that excitement faded. Oz wouldn’t have the honor of sharing anything with Llyr. Not once their journey was over.
He gazed at Llyr—who still stared out over the water.
“I’ve got someone on lookout for the Draugar. There’s no need to search.”
Llyr spun to face him. “It’s not that.”
“What is it then?”
“I miss the water. I’m so close… yet… so far away.”
“I’m sorry,” Oz said, hating the longing he witnessed in Llyr’s eyes. “I can’t begin to imagine how it feels.”
Llyr gave him a wan smile. “No reason for you to be sorry. I did what I felt I needed to.”
Oz hated seeing the sadness on Llyr’s face. He’d do anything to help it fade. After a glance around him, he strolled over to the ship’s wheel and urged Llyr closer. “Would you like to steer the boat?”
“Oh? Is that what this thing is? I’ve often wondered.”
“You’ve seen one before?”
“On shipwrecks,” Llyr replied.
“Ah, of course,” Oz said, pinning Llyr between him and the wheel. “When you spin the wheel, it moves the propeller under the ship.”
“The thing that goes back and forth like the tail of a fish?”
“Aye that,” Oz said. “To the right is the starboard side. The left is port. We need to turn toward port and move in a little closer to the shoreline.”
Llyr pulled on the wheel too much, and Oz had to correct him a bit. “Not too hard. Small increments is usually all we need—unless I say ‘hard to starboard’ or ‘hard to port.’ Got it?”
“Aye, Captain,” Llyr murmured.
Oz helped lead Llyr where they needed to be before locking the wheel in place. “I might not understand how you feel being out of the water but I can relate to the need to run away from a marriage you wish to refuse. If only I could do the same.”
“You’re being forced to marry, too?”
Oz nodded.
“And it can’t be Dagr, I assume?”
Oz shook his head. “My duty is to provide heirs to pass down the family name. Dagr is incapable of giving me heirs. I’d marry him if he could.”
Llyr sighed. “Both our worlds sound terrible.”
Oz chuckled. “Indeed. Although, my father is giving me a chance to choose my bride, so at least I am being given some semblance of choice. Too bad your father refused to give you the same.”
“A bride? So you’ll marry a woman?”
“Humans aren’t quite accepting of men who lie with men,” Oz answered. “Some turn a blind eye… but it’s frowned upon by many.”
“That’s sad. In my world there is no difference. Male, female—alphas have their choice. Well, unless a mate crosses paths with another mate. Then the choice is made for them.” Llyr frowned. “Usually.”
“Mates?”
“In our past it was thought that every mer had someone who was theirs and theirs alone. They would meet and instinctively recognize they belonged to one another—or so they say. Something changed hundreds of years ago, and now they’re a rarity. Most omegas are bound by their parents to another family—one who will give them more power. More wealth. My father’s treasury isn’t what it once was. He’s not poor, by any standard—but many years of warring with another realm has depleted his treasury.”
“A war under the sea. That would be something to behold. I wonder how it might impact humans—would we be aware of what was going on down there?”
“Likely not. You’ve all thought us a myth for how many generations now? Our nation has been at war with the Atlanteans for as long as I’ve been alive.”
Oz smiled. “It’s inconceivable to think there’s another world under the water I’ve spent practically my whole life on.”
“Will you miss it? When you return home?”
“I’ve always heard the call to the sea. When I was a boy, it drew me like a moth to a flame. I’m a strong swimmer and can hold my breath longer than anyone I know, besides my own brothers when they were alive. After I ran away from home, I knew I’d found my place in the world, here on the water.”
“Why did you run away?”
Oz tensed. He’d run from that question for so long. He was tired of running. “I blamed myself for my mother’s death.”
“Were you to blame?”
Oz shook his head. “No.” A tremor shook him. Violently. The air was sucked from his lungs.
Llyr reached up and brushed some of the hair away from his forehead, his caress whisper soft. “You say ‘no’ but I see ‘yes’ in your eyes.”
Oz held Llyr’s gaze, drawn into the undertow of those swirling colors. They were like the water themselves. Sometimes peaceful. Sometimes raging with emotions. Now, there was a serenity he sensed there and he allowed it to take over.
“I was blamed for my papa’s death,” Llyr murmured. “My birth. His death. I never knew him.”
“How could anyone blame you? Women here die all too often in childbirth. It’s difficult on the body.”
“Yes… and more difficult for a male omega than a female.”
“Does it scare you? The prospect of giving birth?” Oz shook his head. “It still seems odd to say… a man with child.”
“The prospect of giving birth to a child created with a man I don’t love—that I fear. The birth itself? I suppose there’s hesitation there, after what happened to my own papa. But the thought of having a little piece of me in my arms.” Llyr smiled. “That sounds wonderful.”
“I suppose it does sound wonderful. The world needs more souls like yours in it.”
Llyr smiled up at him before sighing. “Soon I’ll return there and you’ll have your own homecoming, and we’ll be drawn in separate directions.”
Oz smiled. “I’ll miss this life tremendously. Fortunately, my home is on the coast and I can see the shore from my bedroom window. I’ll never be too far away.”
“Maybe someday I can visit you on the shore.” Llyr’s smile faded. “If my father ever gives me any freedom.”
“Do you really think he will after you escaped?”
“Not sure. Hopefully this will end the troth to come, but who knows? Even if it does, another might come at its heels.”
“I have no desire to be wed myself.”
Llyr tilted his head. “Do you enjoy the company of women?”
“I’ve spent nights with women, but I generally prefer the company of men. But my concern isn’t that she’s a woman—not completely. The women I’ll have to choose from—they are of a type I wish to avoid.”
“But what about Dagr? What happens to him?”
“He’ll move on. Possibly get a wife of his own.”
“But he loves you,” Llyr said. “And you love him.”
The wave of pain at Llyr’s words crashed over Oz. He forced himself not to react. “Love means little in our world. Duty is key.”
“That I understand. Love should mean everything,” Llyr said. “It’s why I ran away from my home and turned my back on everything I hold dear. I refused to marry a man I have no love for. I want someone to cherish me and I him. You have that with Dagr, and yet you’re willing to walk away from it.”
“It’s not as simple as all that. I have responsibilities to my family. A duty. One I must fulfill.” Oz swallowed back the bile rising up his throat. “I wish I could simply wave it all away and spend my days on the seas with Dagr. I love him. More than you know. He’s my friend. My lover. My world.” He paused, the pain almost too unbearable. “If I could find a way to have him beside me for the rest of my days, I would.”
“Why go back? Remain on your ship and sail away together.”
Oz sighed. “I could only run so far. Eventually, my father would ha
ve me dragged back home. He’s threatened as much.”
In an instant, Llyr became as white as the sails. Oz searched the water, wondering if the merman had seen something. “Have they reappeared?”
“No,” Llyr murmured. “I only now realize how alike you and I are. Running away from the inevitable. Both understanding we must face our duty. Both wishing we were free to love who we wished.” He smiled wanly. “It’s sad that things couldn’t be different for us.”
Oz thrust his hands through Llyr’s curls and drew him closer. “There are witches in Aelymanua. Perhaps we could find one to give you the gift of legs—for longer than a week.”
Llyr gasped. “Do you think it possible?”
“We can try. If it’s something you wished for.”
The light of Llyr’s smile went all the way to his eyes that time. “And then… would you run away with Dagr and I? We could live on this ship and be so very happy together.”
Oz’s stomach clenched. If only he could. “It’s impossible for me… but you and Dagr could. He needs someone to love and care for him when I’m gone. Why not you? You could love him for me, couldn’t you?”
“I could.” Llyr cupped Oz’s cheeks in his hands. “But who would be left to love you?”
“It’s too late for me,” Oz murmured. “I can’t run anymore. It’s time to face my demons. And my duty…”
Oz clutched Llyr to him, holding their merman tight, wishing he could hold on forever.
Knowing he was powerless to try.
Later that day, Dagr gazed through his sextant, using one of the three moons as a guide to determine their location. The sun clung to the horizon, its fading light an orange swath, raging against the darkness. The stars had come out to glitter in the sky. A chill breeze washed over him. The farther north they sailed, the colder the temperature grew.
“What is that?”
He spun to see Llyr watching him with interest.
“I’m checking that we haven’t veered off course,” he answered.
