by Zoe Chant
It was not an easy flavor. Not a casual, straightforward treat, to be enjoyed and forgotten. Most people, perhaps, would have found it off-putting. But the longer he held it on his tongue, the more the flavor unfurled, like a black rose; layers of midnight petals, and secret sweetness at the heart.
“There,” Jane murmured. “You see now.”
The tang of sea salt lingered on his lips. He had to keep his eyes closed, fighting the prickle of tears.
“Yes,” he said thickly. “I think I do.”
A slight, embarrassed cough made Reiner start, opening his eyes. The cafe owner had emerged from the kitchen with a broom. Pointedly not looking at them, he began to push it around the already clean floor.
“I believe we have outstayed our welcome,” Jane murmured. A slight, wicked smile tugged at her lips. “And you did make me a promise.”
“I did?” Reiner tried to remember. With Jane opposite him, looking like that, it was hard to think of anything else.
“Yes.” Under the table, Jane’s foot found his. The warmth of her bare leg pressed against his calf, and Reiner lost his train of thought entirely. “That after we’d talked…?”
Reiner shot to his feet, nearly overturning the table. Grabbing Jane’s wrist in one hand, he fumbled with the other for his wallet.
“Uh, sir?” The cafe owner stared at Reiner like he’d lost his mind. “You already paid, remember?”
“No. Yes.” Carried away on a wave of giddy happiness, Reiner shook all his remaining cash onto the table. “Here. Take it all. Everything is wonderful. We’ll be back.”
“I certainly hope so,” the man said, grinning. He held the door open for them. “Have a good evening!”
“Thank you.” Jane smiled at the man as Reiner swept her past. “I shall.”
Chapter 13
Any other time, Jane would have delighted in the soft leather seats and thrilling growl of Reiner’s jewel-red land-boat (or car, as she’d learned). Tonight, however, even the car’s swift speed felt far too slow. For once, she was interested not in the journey, but the destination.
Reiner clearly felt the same impatience. The car had barely halted when he was out, flinging open her door and pulling her out. Jane had only time for a glimpse at their surroundings—tall white buildings, elegant ironwork, the scent of salt water—before he bundled her through an imposing door and into an equally imposing entrance hall.
“I’ve got the penthouse,” Reiner growled. Jane could feel his heart racing as fast as her own. “Can’t wait for the elevator. Stairs?”
“Yes,” Jane said breathlessly. She’d only understood about half the words, but she was fully in favor of anything that cut down the time it would take to reach the nearest bed.
Reiner’s teeth flashed in a sharkish grin. He pulled her up a narrow staircase, taking the treads three at a time. Even with her longer legs, Jane was hard-pressed to keep up with him. With every step, the tingling excitement coursing through her mounted.
By the time they reached the top floor, she was out of breath, but not from the climb. Every nerve fizzed with anticipation. Only one final door now. Reiner did something to it, and Jane heard a soft click. He started to turn the handle—and stopped.
“What?” Jane could barely form words, her heart was hammering so. “Is something wrong?”
“Not exactly.” He cast her a curiously sheepish look, a tinge of color flushing across his high cheekbones. “It’s just… I wasn’t expecting a guest. I haven’t had a chance to tidy up. My den isn’t exactly at its best.”
“You don’t have to hide anything.” Jane squeezed his hand. “Not from me.”
He smiled—that startled, wonder-struck smile, as though she’d handed him an unexpected gift. Without another word, he turned the handle, and let her in.
It was supposed to be a solemn moment, when one first entered someone’s lair. It was a person’s most private domain, after all; the place where you kept your hoard. Allowing even your true mate to view your treasures was an act of great trust. Etiquette demanded the utmost formality.
Jane tried her hardest. But she couldn’t hold back the huge, delighted wave of laughter that swamped her.
“Oh,” she gasped, doubling over. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t, but—oh!”
Reiner’s home was a mess. There was no polite way of glossing over that plain, inescapable fact. At one point, it must have been an elegant space, minimally furnished and tastefully decorated in monochrome shades of cool gray—but no longer.
Toys littered the floor. Half-dressed dolls sprawled like victims of some terrible disaster, ringed by attentive toy trucks. On a low table, a miniature city was under construction—or possibly demolition, given how widely the small, bright bricks were scattered. Every chair and sofa had been stripped of cushions to make an impressive, though rickety, fortress in one corner of the room.
Reiner sighed, surveying the wreckage. “I’m sorry. I really do normally keep the place tidier than this. I just lost track of time, playing with Danny, and then we had to rush out to make it to the party—”
Jane silenced him with a kiss.
“It’s perfect,” she said, when their lips parted. “It’s exactly what a lair should be. A place to enjoy your greatest treasure.”
His amber eyes lit with that soft, joyous warmth once more. He kissed her again, longer, then pulled away.
“This way.” Taking both her hands, he drew her further inside. “I want to show you something.”
Jane let him guide her through the joyful chaos, having to hop a few times to avoid crushing a toy. Reiner, walking backwards, navigated the treacherous terrain flawlessly, without even glancing down.
“Look,” he said, leading her into a large bedchamber. In contrast to the carnage beyond, it was meticulously neat, without so much as a wrinkle in the crisp white linens of the bed. “This is why I bought this apartment.”
It was a light, airy space, with high ceilings and pleasing proportions. But Jane immediately knew that wasn’t what Reiner meant.
Wide, tall windows dominated one wall, reaching from floor to ceiling. There was a balcony beyond, with graceful wrought-iron railings. And beyond that, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but moonlight on water, and stars.
“Oh,” Jane whispered. She moved closer to the window, reaching out to press her fingertips to the glass. “Oh.”
Reiner’s arms circled her waist. She leaned back, into his solid warmth, as she gazed out at the sea. Her former home; seen from the other side.
“I’ve always loved the sea,” he whispered in her ear. “When I was young, I would sneak away from the rest of my pride to spend hours on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, by myself. It was the only time I felt at peace.”
“And when you grew up, you chose to live within sight of the sea,” Jane said softly.
“Always.” He brushed her braided hair back from her face, his fingertips tracing heat across her skin. “Now I know why.”
She turned in his arms. They kissed, slow and deep, surrounded by the soft, eternal song of the waves.
Reiner drew back a little. There was a different look in his eyes now; not soft and warm, but hungry, and deliciously feral. Pressed against him, she could feel how every muscle in his torso had clenched tight, taut with barely restrained need.
A deep growl edged his voice, vibrating through her chest. “How do sea dragons mate?”
“There are rituals.” She was trembling too, desire thundering through her blood. “Courtship dances. Exchanges of names, and recitations of lineage.”
Reiner’s breath hissed through clenched teeth. “That sounds like it could be a lengthy process.”
“Oh yes. Very much so.” She pressed her hips against him, glorying in the hard lines of his body. “And those are just the preliminaries.”
Reiner made a sound close to actual agony.
“But…” She let one hand drift down his rigid abdomen, coming to rest at the very tip of the har
d, straining ridge beyond. “When it comes to the actual mating, there is only one lengthy part of true significance.”
He gasped something that she could only assume was a curse, as her fingertip drew a slow, teasing circle. “Please, please tell me you want to skip the damn preliminaries.”
She stroked down, eliciting another deep growl. “I believe we have established that I have never cared for etiquette.”
He caught her wrist, lifting it to his mouth. His teeth grazed against her pulse, and it was her turn to gasp. She felt his lips curl in a smile.
“Good,” he murmured.
“And how—ah!” She caught her breath, need pulsing between her legs as he trailed light, biting kisses up her arm. “How do lions mate?”
Reiner spanned her face with his fingertips, pressing lightly in silent suggestion. She gladly complied, tilting her head to expose her neck. He licked at the hollow of her throat, making her gasp again.
His breath whispered against her skin. “Shall I show you?”
“Yes.” Closing her eyes, she threw back her head, surrendering herself to the pulsing waves of pleasure. “Oh, please, yes!”
He did, maddeningly. Laying her down on the bed, he learned every inch of her. With the complete, utter focus of a predator claiming his territory, he worked his way down her body; breathing in her scent, tasting her skin, until she was writhing underneath him, helpless with need.
He found things that she had not even known about herself. She had never imagined that a light touch down her spine could send fire through her blood; that the nape of her neck had always yearned for the light, teasing nip of sharp teeth.
Even before he had reached her straining nipples, she was already on the brink of climax. When he finally drew one hard bud into his mouth, she had to bite hard on her own arm to stifle her cries.
Reiner released her breast, lifting his head to fix her with fierce, feral eyes. Firmly, he grasped her wrist, pulling her arm away from her mouth.
“No,” he growled, in a tone that brooked no argument. “No holding yourself back. Let go, Jane.”
She did. All restraint gone, she wrapped her legs around him, giving herself up to her own desire. She moved exactly as she wanted, raking at his back, grinding against his groin until she found just the right angle. He snarled in need and approval, biting at her breast, sucking hard at her nipple, as she shuddered and came undone.
Reiner’s breath came in hard pants. His hardness slid through her slick folds, nudging against her entrance. The muscles in his neck were corded, standing out in rigid lines.
“Now,” he said.
It wasn’t quite a question. He already knew what she wanted and needed. Even so, he held himself back, arms rigid; waiting for that final confirmation.
Waiting for her to tell him yes.
“Yes,” she breathed.
He slid into her in one hard, fast movement. Even with her body still fluttering with the aftershocks of her previous pleasure, he caught up and swept away again. She arced to meet him, matching his demanding rhythm with equal need.
And as Reiner drove into her, as she came closer and closer to that shattering peak, she felt him come closer too. As he filled her body, he filled her mind too; a fierce, powerful presence, rising in her soul like the sun.
“Yes,” she cried out; welcoming him in, welcoming him home. “Reiner!”
“Jane, my Jane.” He arced one final time, spilling into her; giving her all of himself, forever. “My mate!”
Epilogue
This, Danny decided, was definitely the best weekend ever.
Normally, he wasn’t allowed to have treats two days in a row. But here they were, the day after the big party, and Daddy was letting him have ice cream! And not just any ice cream, but the really good ice cream, that Daddy usually said was just for special occasions.
Danny trotted at Daddy’s side, carrying his ice cream cone carefully in two hands. “Is today special, Daddy?”
“Yes, it is.” Daddy smelled funny, like he was really happy and really nervous all at the same time. He’d been like that ever since he’d picked Danny up. “At least, I hope it will be.”
Daddy had two cones, one in each hand, which Danny didn’t think was entirely fair. Then again, they were both Evil Ooze. Maybe the ice cream man had just been trying to get rid of it.
Danny eyed his own ice cream wistfully. Daddy was walking so fast, Danny didn’t dare try to take even a little lick, in case he tripped. He’d done that once, and dropped a whole ice cream, and Mommy had said it was his fault for not looking where he was going and refused to buy him another one, which was definitely the most unfair thing that had ever happened to anyone.
“My ice cream’s going dribbly,” he said, which was just the teensiest fib, because even if it wasn’t now, it would probably start to melt real soon. “Can we stop and eat?”
“Not yet.” Daddy turned down the big road that went all the way from the middle of the city to the sea. “We’re going to the pier.”
Danny perked up. The pier was amazing, with rides and donuts and claw machines full of toys that you could almost never win.
(Unless you had Sir John with you, and persuaded him to lift up the whole machine and shake it. Then you got a lot of toys, and also asked to leave.)
Then he frowned. He didn’t think it was his birthday—not unless you were allowed two in one year—and he couldn’t remember being especially good. So why was he getting all these treats?
“Is it your birthday, Daddy?” he said, suddenly worried. “I didn’t make you a card or a present or anything.”
“No, son.” Daddy’s happy/nervous smell got stronger, like he was sitting in a rollercoaster that was juuuuuuust coming up to the top of the first big swoosh. “There’s… there’s someone I want you to meet.”
This turned out to be a big fib, because the person waiting for them on a bench at the entrance to the pier was Jane.
“Daddy,” Danny said in exasperation. “That’s Jane. I’ve already met her, remember?”
Though maybe Daddy didn’t. Grown-ups had terrible memories, in Danny’s experience. That was why you had to keep reminding them that they’d promised to play in ‘just a few minutes’.
Jane stood up, smoothing down her dress. A little to Danny’s disappointment, she wasn’t wearing her cool sea dragon stuff anymore, just normal clothes. Still, she was even prettier today, though it had nothing to do with her outfit. Her eyes were all bright and sparkly, like sunlight on the sea, and they got even brighter and sparklier when she looked at them.
“Hello, Danny,” Jane said. She smelled exactly like Daddy, that same nice-spiky mix of happiness and nerves. “I’m very happy to see you again.”
“Me too!” Danny beamed at her. “We brought you an ice cream! Oh. But it’s evil. Sorry.”
Daddy passed Jane one of his yucky ice creams (and she didn’t even pull a face or say “Ugh!”, which just proved what a nice person she was). He cleared his throat, looking a bit like he was in a school play, and had just forgotten his lines.
“Danny.” He took Jane’s hand, holding tight, like they were about to cross a scary road. “Jane and I have something to tell you.”
Danny squinted from Jane to Daddy. There was something different about them both. And they really did smell just like each other. It was like a bit of Jane’s salty dragony scent had gotten mixed up in Daddy’s big furry lion smell…
The penny finally dropped.
“Omigosh!” A bunch of nearby seagulls took off, startled by his shriek. “You mated my Daddy!”
Daddy winced, glancing around at the busy pier. “Not too loudly, Danny.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He switched to his indoor voice, even though they were outside. You weren’t supposed to talk shifter stuff in public. “You did, though, right? You’re really truly mated?”
“Yes.” Jane knelt down to look him in the eye, her face very serious. “Your father and I are bonded. That doesn’t mean anyth
ing has to change for you. But I would like to be a part of your life too, if you allow it. In time, I hope you will come to consider me family.”
Grown-ups were so silly.
“No.” He threw his arms around her, squeezing hard. “You’re already my family.”
Daddy cleared his throat again. “Danny, you’re dripping ice cream down the back of Jane’s neck.”
“I don’t mind.” Jane hugged Danny right back, just as big and warm as Da or Mommy or Daddy. “We can always get more ice cream.”
“Yeah! You have to make up for all the ones you missed eating in Atlantis!” Sensing a new ally, Danny twisted round to give Daddy his best wide-eyed, innocent look. “We’ll have to get ice cream every day.”
Daddy chuckled. He leaned down too, scooping up them both in an even bigger hug.
“Maybe not every day,” he murmured in Danny’s ear. “Jane’s never had cake either, you realize.”
Danny’s jaw dropped in horror. “Not even birthday cake? Ever?”
“Not ever.” Jane released him, sitting back. “There is much you will have to show me.”
Danny nodded eagerly. “And you’ll show me Atlantis, right?”
“I will take you there myself in an air bubble,” Jane promised. She glanced at Daddy, her voice softening. “Both of you. I would like to make some happy memories there at last.”
Daddy took her hand again. “And even more on land.”
The grown-ups kind of stopped, just staring all mushily into each other’s eyes. Danny knew all about that look. Da and Mommy did that too, a lot.
He licked his ice cream. He stood on one foot, then the other. He counted seagulls for a bit. Then he got bored.
“Hey!” He waved his hand in the air, like he would at school. “I have a question! Is Jane going to live with us now?”
Daddy and Jane both started, snapping out of their dreamy trance.
“Yes,” Daddy replied. “She’s moving into my apartment.”
“Though only if you have no objection, Danny,” Jane added quickly.
