The Tattoo of the Elf [The Triplet Mermen Trilogy]

by Casper Graham

  “Did you ever—”

  Baltic shook his head. “Cas and Dray stopped me before my first attempt. I became enraged, and I suddenly had all these rows of sharp fangs and claws. Cas grabbed my head and pressed me close to his neck, allowing me to feed on his blood. Then, Drake had to drag me away before I went too far.”

  “Merpeople have fangs and claws, too.”

  Baltic nodded. “But a siren’s fangs and claws are uneven in length. They’re also poisonous. Merpeople will never turn ballistic unless they’re defending the ones they love. Even then, the situation has to be dire. A merperson’s love is absolute and unquestionable. Once you’re mated to him or her, you’re guaranteed a mate beyond eternity or death.”

  “If it’s broken, the price is just as huge.”

  Baltic shrugged at Jefferson. “Love is the most powerful weapon in the world.”

  “Lucky Ed.”

  Baltic chuckled. “So is Dray. Anyway, aside from my water magic, I also have healer magic. I can sense Edwin’s love and protective magic all over my brother. Those two are made for each other.”

  Jefferson seemed taken aback. “You’re a natural healer?”

  Baltic snickered. “Yeah. Why are you so focused on that?”

  “Because it’s rare. I know Drake has the unique gift of seeing into the future.”

  “Caspian’s magic is extraordinary, as well.”

  “What is it?”

  “Fire.”

  Jefferson stared at Baltic in silence for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. “A merman with fire power? Oh, man. That’s hilarious.”

  Baltic chortled, as well. “I know, right?”

  “Too weird.”

  “I grew up with Cas and Dray. I was the one who triggered Cas’s extra ability. Well, sort of. It was more of an accident. We lived deep in the Pacific Ocean within a community of merpeople with my dad, an octopus shifter and a leading general of the warriors who defended the merfolk communities, and my mom, a mermaid with the powerful ability to create a magical shield around our own community. As the oldest, Cas considered himself the leader, but he was also the most rebellious among us triplets. He decided to play farther away from the community and out from the range of our mom’s shield. Dray and I followed him because we were worried about him. A massive shark spotted Drake and me, though. We tried to escape, but we were too young. Our magic wasn’t developed yet. I also got myself entangled in one of those abandoned nets that the damn humans discarded into the ocean. I thought I would surely die, but Cas swam between me and the shark. I remember holding tight to my oldest brother while Drake was crying at the side. The shark drew nearer when suddenly, there was a gigantic burst of fire shooting out from Cas’s hands.”

  “That’s awesome.”

  Baltic snorted. “Not for the shark. It was burned into ashes.”

  Jefferson whistled under his breath. “Whoa.”

  “Yeah. Anyway, our magic began to appear at random until they matured.” After that, Baltic yawned before giving Jefferson a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

  “It’s fine. Get some sleep. I’ll wake you up for dinner. I’ll also contact Gavin. He will reassure Caspian that you’re going to be safe and sound right here with me at my house.”

  “Okay.”

  Then, Baltic shut his eyes. He could sense Jefferson’s presence in the room for a moment before he felt the bed moving a little as the elf got off the bed. Then, he heard Jefferson walking toward the door and closing it with a gentle click. He had never shared his childhood memories with anyone, not even when he had fallen in love with that cursed snake shifter. He had also never told the stories of how he turned into a siren with anyone other than his parents and brothers. He was too frightened of the other supernatural beings’ reactions, but Jefferson seemed fine and eager to hear his story. Maybe the two of them could have a chance to develop something between them in the future. Only time would tell.

  Chapter 7

  Jefferson pulled out the chair and slid the chair forward gently to make sure Baltic was seated as comfortably as possible. He noticed the slight blush on Baltic’s cheeks, but he didn’t bring any attention to it.

  “Thank you, Jeff.”

  “You’re welcome,” Jefferson replied with before sitting on the chair across the table from Baltic. “So, how are you feeling now?”

  He noted the hesitation on Baltic’s end. Instead of allowing the awkwardness to stretch on, he picked up the bottle of red wine and poured some into Baltic’s wine glass before doing the same for his own. He lifted his glass at Baltic for a toast and waited for the merman to do the same before sipping on the liquid. His eyes never looked away from Baltic, though. Truth be told, he was nervous at the moment. He was finally going to have a nice dinner with Baltic, the merman he had been pining for all this while. He didn’t want to mess up this first opportunity, which he considered as their first official date. Well, at least he thought so on his part. If he could act all suave and elegant, he was hoping it would impress Baltic enough to give him a second date.

  After what felt like hours, Baltic gazed up at him before responding. “It’s a little strange for me.”

  Jefferson gulped down a mouthful of wine and forced a smile. “Why is that?”

  Baltic shrugged. “I haven’t been able to feel my merman magic after the sun sets for a hundred years now. You must have used plenty of powerful magic in creating your ward to be able to repel the siren magic within me and cause it to recoil much deeper into me. The little bit of blood I consume every night either from Cas or Dray is helpful, but it’s inadequate to suppress the siren magic from overtaking my senses. Not that I become psychotic or anything like that.”

  Jefferson could tell Baltic was both embarrassed and anxious about the topic, so he decided to switch the conversation to something else. “How do you like my garden?”

  “It’s beautiful. You must have millions of varieties in your backyard alone. Cas will be green with envy. The house we’re sharing isn’t large enough, and neither is the backyard.”

  “Your brother sells plants and herbs, right?”

  Baltic nodded. “Some types are ordinary and “normal.” The magical ones have to be hidden by magic because Dray and I have plenty of paying customers who are unaware about the supernatural world. We can’t risk them entering the backyard and catching sight of the magical plants and herbs.”

  Jefferson found all three brothers interesting in their choices of occupation as they tried to assimilate themselves into the common mortal society, but he was more curious about Baltic. After all, he was attracted to Baltic. He yearned to learn more about Baltic instead of the other two mermen.

  “What makes you decide to teach yoga?”

  “Hmm,” Baltic muttered noncommittally while drinking a little bit of wine. “I guess it’s a combination of factors. I have natural healing magic, and yoga is a way to keep the body and mind healthy. Besides, I fell in love with it about five years after my brothers and I started living on land. We used to travel a lot before settling down here in San Francisco. Anyway, yoga didn’t turn into a popular trend until the nineteen eighties here in the US.”

  “Is it difficult?”

  “The movements?”

  “Yeah.”

  Baltic shook his head. “Merpeople have strong upper and lower bodies. After all, we have to survive in the ocean. We swim all the time. We also have higher metabolisms than the ordinary humans and most supernatural beings. I can guarantee that you’ll never meet a merperson who’s out of shape. It’s impossible. Besides, we’re used to twisting our bodies in ways that the ordinary humans can only dream about. Merpeople have a lot of strength, stamina, and flexibility. We were born with those three in spades.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “Yeah. What about you? You’re a healer, too, aren’t you?”

  Jefferson nodded. “Elves also have some common traits. Not bragging or anything like that, but our intelligence levels are much higher
than most mortals or supernatural beings. We don’t all apply ourselves to the same thing, though. Some prefer to train in weapons, picking up incredible skills in a matter of months. Some elves are excellent musicians. There are millions of routes to choose from. I went into healing from a very young age. Regardless of what we do, we will always be better than the humans. Unfortunately, we can’t share our knowledge with them. There are rules in place. The time of mankind is supposed to follow its own schedule. It’s against the law of nature for us to accelerate it for them by imparting what we’ve known for hundreds of thousands of years. They need to rise and fall on their own.”

  “I understand what you’re trying to say,” Baltic said while sniffing around the table. “Anyway, what smells so good? It’s making me really hungry.”

  Jefferson chuckled before lifting the lid that was covering the dish in the center of the table. “Grilled fish with baby potatoes and asparagus. I prepared them myself.”

  “Oh.”

  Jefferson was startled to notice the uncomfortable expression on Baltic’s face. “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m a merman, Jeff, and you’re serving me fish for dinner.”

  Jefferson could feel the heat creeping up his neck and cheeks as he stared at Baltic in horror. “Holy shit. I’m so sorry. I’ll take these away. Let me grab some takeout menus, and we can order something else. I—”

  He was taken aback when Baltic began laughing loudly. He realized he had been tricked. He dropped the lid back and snickered in amusement.

  “Sorry, Jeff, but your face is priceless.”

  Jefferson hiccuped and chortled at the same time. “Shut up. I was mortified. I thought you were being serious.”

  Baltic sipped a bit of wine before answering. “Some merfolks don’t eat fish or any kinds of meat because they have the same genetic makeups as the herbivores in the sea. On the other hand, I’m more similar to the sharks. I’m more of a carnivore. I love any kinds of vegetables, though.”

  “That makes you an omnivore.”

  “True, but I still prefer meat, including fish,” Baltic retorted before winking playfully.

  Jefferson chuckled before removing the lid from the middle dish once again and scooping up a generous portion for Baltic. Then, he did the same for himself. The two of them ate in silence for a few minutes before he spoke up again.

  “There’s something I’m wondering about.”

  “What is it?”

  “Your dad is an octopus shifter, right?”

  “He is.”

  “Then, why are you a merman? I thought an octopus has a more dominant gene compared to a mermaid.”

  Baltic snorted. “That’s a common misconception that most non-water shifters seem to harbor about us water shifters. It’s all about magic. Mom’s magic is more powerful, so it makes sense for my brothers and me to be born as mermen.”

  “Oh, okay. I get it now. I wish all supernatural beings would get together and have an annual conference or something similar. We could exchange information with one another and avoid clashes that sometimes arise from simple misunderstandings.”

  “Easier said than done. There are too many kinds of supernatural beings. The logistics for such a conference will be a nightmare.”

  “True.”

  After that, they continued with their food in silence. Jefferson didn’t think it was awkward between them, but he felt as if there was still a distance to bridge before they could reach a level of comfort where they could converse more freely with each other. He was hoping they would get there someday.

  * * * *

  Baltic wished he could shift closer to Jefferson on the couch while they watched a horror movie on TV. Not that he was terrified of the content of the movie itself. He was a supernatural being after all. However, it would be wonderful to snuggle with Jefferson. He didn’t have the courage to do something like that, though. He could just combust from mortification and shame if Jefferson ended up pushing him away. He peeked at Jefferson for a few seconds longer before heaving out a soft, defeated sigh and turning his focus back onto whatever was going on with the show itself.

  The movie was all right. It was probably frightening by mortal standards, but he found it rather hilarious, especially the characters who were supposed to be the vampires and the werewolves. They were overly sanitized to fit the targeted audience demographics, and he also knew for a fact that real vampires and werewolves didn’t behave like moody teenagers. He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes over and over again because the whole plot went from bad to worse. He had to suppress an irritated huff of disbelief at the way the supernatural characters were portrayed.

  He was about to adjust his position on the couch when he felt Jefferson’s palm on top of his hand. He could feel the warmth of the elf’s hand. Actually, Jefferson’s hand would be better described as a giant paw. He darted his eyes back and forth between Jefferson’s hand and his own. Jefferson’s index finger alone was almost twice the length of his middle finger, which was the longest finger on his hand. He also noticed that Jefferson had very thick fingers while he had thinner ones, almost delicate even.

  His heart almost stopped in excitement and shocking delight when Jefferson gripped his hand and intertwined their fingers together. He was so elated at the unexpected development between them he didn’t dare to move at all. Not even by a fraction of an inch. Instead, he did his best to slide his ass by a couple of inches over toward Jefferson’s direction without being too obvious about it. However, he was taken aback when Jefferson released his hand and slung one arm over his shoulders before dragging him all the way until their sides were pressed right against each other. He gasped for a second or two before relaxing and tentatively lying his head sideways on top of Jefferson’s thick and muscled shoulder. He was giddy with relief when Jefferson hugged him even tighter.

  “Are you truly all right with this, sweetheart?”

  “Ye…yeah.”

  “You sounded rather hesitant.”

  “No. Not at all. I’m just surprised,” Baltic explained before moving impossibly closer toward Jefferson.

  “About what?”

  “You called me ‘sweetheart.’”

  “I did. You don’t like it?”

  “I do. Like it, I mean.”

  “What’s the problem then?”

  “Nothing. I just didn’t expect things to proceed in this manner.”

  “Why not?”

  Baltic shrugged. “I thought we would go on our first date before—”

  Jefferson relinquished his hold on Baltic and faced the merman in shock. “Wait. What did you think the dinner was for earlier?”

  Baltic gaped at Jefferson. “That…that was a date?”

  Jefferson blushed in an obvious embarrassment and looked away in a hurry. “Yeah. I…I thought you knew.”

  Baltic didn’t quite know how to respond. In the end, he decided to keep it simple. “No, Jeff. I honestly wasn’t aware.”

  Jefferson face-palmed himself and snickered loudly. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Balt. I was being presumptuous.”

  Baltic felt horrible now. He could detect the shame in Jefferson’s tone of voice, and he wished he could erase that. He stared at Jefferson for a few seconds longer before getting off the couch. He stood in front of Jefferson, grabbed the elf’s hands with his own, and attempted to appear confident while he climbed up onto the couch and straddled the man’s thighs. He noticed Jefferson’s eyes widening, gazing at him in obvious arousal.

  “Jeff.”

  “Balt, sweetheart, what…” Jefferson gulped before continuing. “What are you doing?”

  “Do…do you like me?”

  Jefferson nodded immediately. “Yeah. Very much. In fact, I’m crazy about you.”

  Baltic shifted closer toward Jefferson, trembling when he felt the elf’s prominent bulge pulsing against him. “Will you…will you mate with me?”

  Jefferson shut both eyes for what seemed like a really long time. Baltic was menta
lly preparing himself for a rejection. However, he was still shocked enough to render him completely speechless.

  “No, Balt.” Those two words were spoken softly, but Baltic felt as if they were being screamed out loud at him. He tried to get away from Jefferson, but the elf wrapped both arms around his waist and refused to let him go. “Balt, sweetheart, listen to me.”

  He stopped struggling, but he couldn’t look at Jefferson at all. He had misread Jefferson’s intention.

  “I think I should leave.”

  “Not until you let me finish my explanation.”

  Baltic didn’t want to hear anything. He had been rejected once, and it was painful enough to break his heart, turning him into what he was. He wasn’t sure he could survive another one, but he figured he had nothing else to lose.

  “Okay.”

  “Balt.” He bobbed his head up and down while glancing downward. This was so awkward for him. “Sweetheart, look at me.”

  He bit his lower lip a little before obeying. “Yeah?”

  “Listen to me. I wasn’t dismissing your offer earlier.”

  “But—”

  “Let me finish.” Baltic simply nodded. “Balt, I really want to take you as my mate. Trust me. Can you feel how hard my cock is inside my pants?”