Drake wrapped both thighs around Edwin’s waist to prevent his lover from moving away from him. “We don’t need lube.”
Edwin gaped at him. “We need it. I can’t fuck you dry.”
Instead of responding verbally, Drake grabbed Edwin’s right index finger and pushed it toward his hole. “Put your finger in.”
Edwin obliged before looking at him in utter amazement. “You’re…you…it’s moist and slippery.”
He nodded at Edwin. “Mermen will produce natural lubricants when they’re about to mate with other males.”
Edwin gulped and stared at him. “Okay. Wow…”
“Just…just take it easy,” he whispered against Edwin’s lips. “I’m nervous and more than a little scared.”
Edwin caressed Drake’s hair gently. “I will. I promise.”
“I trust you, Ed.”
“Same for me, sweetheart, and I love you.”
Drake beamed at Edwin. “I love you, too. Mate me now. Claim me for eternity.”
Drake had imagined his mating day for more than a century now. He was all right with being mated to either a man or a woman. He thought he was ready for a mate. Nothing prepared him for the excruciating pain of taking Edwin’s dick inside his ass for the first time. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes as the tears streamed down on either side of his face. He attempted to give Edwin a reassuring smile when his lover cooed at him.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart. My dick is too fucking huge. Damn it! I wish it was smaller.”
Drake shook his head. “It’s…it’s fine. Keep going.”
“No, I better pull out now. I’m killing you.”
“No!” Drake shouted while clenching his hole around Edwin’s cock. “Don’t. Please. I can take it.”
Edwin gazed at him with a concerned expression. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Try again.”
Drake still had a tough time with the penetration, but he was determined to feel every inch of Edwin’s cock inside him. Both of them were sweating so much it was as if they had just come out from the shower. He refused to give up, though. After what felt like an eternity, he heaved out a sigh of relief when Edwin’s pubes were finally pressing against his butt cheeks. Edwin grinned at him. He could only pant wordlessly in return.
“Holy shit, sweetheart. Your ass muscles are squeezing around my cock like the tightest vise in the world. I don’t think I can last much longer. I hope you’re close, as well. I’m going to shoot my cum inside your ass and mark you within a few strokes. Your ass is too damn tight.”
Drake snorted. “Your fucking dick is the problem here. It’s massive. My ass is normal. Besides, I’m a total virgin.”
Drake snickered in amusement when Edwin puffed out his chest. “Correction. You were a virgin.”
“Right. You’re my first lover.”
“I’m your only lover. I don’t share my mate.”
Drake laughed. “Possessive much?”
“Damn right I am.”
“Then, claim me, mate. Mark me with your cum and fire.”
Edwin groaned and trembled. “Shit. I hope you’re ready.”
Drake clenched his ass muscles around Edwin’s dick a few times and smirked at his lover. “I’m waiting for you, old man.”
Edwin glared at Drake. “Old? Is that a challenge?”
Drake mock-yawned in return. “You’re thousands of years old while I’m not even two hundred years old yet. I’m just worried about your fragile health.”
Edwin narrowed his eyes. “Okay. That’s how you want to play it, huh? Fine. I’ll fuck that mouthy attitude right out of you. Just don’t cry and beg for mercy. I’m not stopping for anything once I get started.”
“Blah, blah, blah. You’re all fucking talk and no action. I’m about to fall asleep—shit!” Drake screamed out loud, both in pain and astonishment, when Edwin abruptly pulled out and thrust into him repeatedly without giving him time to catch his breath.
“When I’m done with you, you’ll lose that cocky attitude.”
Drake tightened his thighs around Edwin’s waist. “Yeah? Prove it, old man.”
He must have uttered either the right or wrong thing because, for the next few moments, Edwin hammered into him with so much force he couldn’t form a single word. He could only moan at the mixture of pain and pleasure as their lovemaking grew rougher and more brutal. He reached up and tried to grab Edwin’s back with his hands, but it was too slippery. He scratched his lover’s back by accident, but that served to inflame Edwin’s passion. His lover fucked him even harder after that.
“Come for me, sweetheart. I can feel your hole squeezing even tighter around my cock. Don’t hold back.”
He could only nod at Edwin because, the next thing he knew, he climaxed without having to stroke his dick. At the exact moment, he felt his water magic swirling from somewhere deep within him. Then, a bright light appeared on his chest, rising higher. It was his pearl, exiting through his chest. Its silver brilliance was indescribable. He didn’t get to enjoy the sight for more than a few seconds because Edwin drove into him one final time. He could feel his mate’s warm cum coating the inside of his ass over and over again.
At the same time, his water magic reacted to defend him from the phoenix fire that consumed him from head to toe. The pain was nothing like he’d ever felt before. Fortunately, it lasted only for a few seconds, but he would never forget the searing, burning sensation. He had no doubt he would be in greater pain without his water magic shielding him from the brunt of the phoenix fire magic.
By the time Edwin slumped over him, their magic had disappeared from view. They were both panting from the exertion. He was a different merman now. He was mated. He glanced downward when Edwin rose up to look at his chest. That was when he noticed the burning red phoenix on his chest right above his heart. It looked like a normal tattoo, but he could feel its protective magic swirling all over it. He observed in amazement when Edwin grabbed the silver pearl, which had been lying on his chest, to show it to him.
“What are you going to do with it, Ed?” Edwin beamed at him. Suddenly, the pearl vanished from sight. “Where did it go?”
“Inside me, sweetheart. I used my magic to absorb your pearl into me. My marking on you will help keep you safe. By taking your pearl into me, I’m hoping it will do the same for me.”
He smiled at Edwin. “It will. My pearl is my magical essence. It will watch over you. I promise.”
“I know. I love you, sweetheart.”
“Love you, too.”
Neither of them exchanged any other words after that. Instead, they pressed their lips together and got lost in their passionate kisses. Drake knew they had to investigate the case of the missing merpeople soon, but he wasn’t going to think about it that night. He would worry about those missing merpeople the next day when he and Edwin swam deep into the ocean to search for clues, if there were any. In the meantime, he was determined to enjoy his precious moment with Edwin. After all, they had just mated with each other. Everything else could take a backseat for the time being.
Chapter Ten
Edwin had been struck by Drake’s ethereal beauty in his lover’s human form from the first time he laid eyes on the merman, but nothing prepared him for when he got to view his mate in his original form. Talking about it paled by comparison to this very moment. Those silver-ish scales on Drake’s lower half were amazing. He was also awed by those sharp fins on his mate’s forearms and along the center of the man’s back. However, he was even more astonished by the incredible length of Drake’s lower half.
Drake stood at five-foot-six on two legs, but the merman was much taller in his merman form. In fact, from the top of Drake’s head all the way to his tail, Edwin was certain his mate must be at least six inches taller than his own five-foot-eleven height. His mate’s form looked so much more magnificent now that Drake was swimming underwater in the deep ocean right in front of him. The other surprise he’d never expected was his ability to
breathe and communicate underwater. Drake had only smiled at him several minutes ago when they first dived into the Pacific Ocean.
“My pearl is inside you, Ed. I’d told you last night that it would protect you from harm. That will include giving you the ability to breathe underwater, so you won’t drown. Without my pearl, you would have to surround yourself in a ball of phoenix fire to travel underwater. The seawater can’t extinguish your phoenix fire, but it’s a waste of magical strength. Since you’re being assisted to breathe underwater by my pearl, you can conserve your magic.”
As the two of them traveled deeper into the depths of the ocean, Edwin was amazed at his ability to view everything clearly as if the dark sea was bright and clear. Once again, he marveled at the magical strength of Drake’s pearl. He was honored Drake entrusted something so precious to him for safekeeping. He was even more determined to love and defend his mate for eternity. He would never betray Drake’s faith in him. Every minute or so, he would be distracted by a sea creature or two he’d never known about. When they eventually reached the ocean floor, he discovered the water creatures were even more breathtaking than the ones nearer to the surface.
“How far are we from your community, sweetheart?”
Drake turned toward him and pointed at the right side. “There it is. We have to approach with caution, though.”
He gazed at Drake in bewilderment. “Why? You’re a merman.”
“I’ve been away on land for a long time. Besides, I want you to look in the direction of the entrance to the cave carefully.”
“Okay…” He trailed off, feeling rather confused at the strange instruction. It took him more than a minute to notice the faint shimmer that ebbed and glowed a few feet away from the entrance of the cave. “There’s something there. What is it?”
“It’s my mom’s magic. It allows those from within to exit, but the ones outside won’t be able to pierce through it. She will have to lower her magic to allow entry.”
Edwin whistled in amazement, chuckling when he noticed the bubbles forming in the water when he blew out the air from his mouth. “So, it’s a powerful defensive magic.”
Drake shook his head. “Not only that. It also acts as a repellent. It will throw you back by quite a substantial distance.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah. Good luck if you happen to bump into a group of carnivores along the way. Those creatures will tear you into tiny pieces if you don’t react fast enough. Follow me, Ed.”
“Right.”
When the two of them drew nearer to the shield close to the entrance of the cave, he followed Drake’s lead and stopped swimming forward. He was taken aback when Drake began to hum. The music was simultaneously haunting and soothing. He was even more astounded when a really tall mermaid with the same shade of platinum blond as Caspian, Drake, and Baltic rushed out from within the entrance. Her violet eyes were wide open as she stared at a grinning Drake. Edwin observed in amazement as the magic was lowered for a moment to permit him and Drake entry into the merpeople territory.
“Drakey-poo.”
Drake grimaced in an instant. “Mom, for fuck’s sake! I’m almost two hundred years old. Can you stop it with that silly nickname?”
“But Drakey-poo, I miss you so much.”
Edwin bit his lower lip to prevent himself from guffawing out loud. Instead, he bowed to Drake’s mom and introduced himself.
“I’m Edwin Barrett, Mrs. Pelagius. I’m a phoenix shifter. Drake and I mated last night.”
Mrs. Pelagius eyed him in silence for a brief moment before hugging him tightly. “Welcome to the family. Now, where are my two other precious boys?”
Drake shook his head at his mom. “Balt hasn’t been cured yet. Cas remains on land to watch over him.”
A temporary sadness washed over Mrs. Pelagius’s face, but she perked up mere seconds later. “It’s fine. At least one of my sons has returned for a visit, and with such a fantastic mate to boot. Let’s hurry inside. Your father will be so excited to see you. And your new mate, too, of course.”
As the three of them headed into the cave, Edwin was flabbergasted at the sight that greeted him. There were thousands or maybe tens of thousands of merpeople inside. The cave also housed plenty of smaller caves.
Drake smirked at him. “You seem surprised.”
“I didn’t know merpeople live in caves. I guess I was expecting houses or apartments like the ones we have on land.”
Drake rolled his eyes. “We’re water shifters, Ed.”
“By the way, your mom is really tall. On land, her height must be at least seven feet. Maybe more.”
Drake chuckled. “You haven’t met my dad. He will make my mom appear tiny by comparison.”
Edwin gulped. “Seriously?”
Drake nodded. “Yeah.”
“Why are you and your brothers so short then?”
Mrs. Pelagius giggled out loud and answered the question before Drake managed to. “My mate and I have often wondered about that, as well. Some of our fellow merfolks often tease us, saying we must have forgotten to feed our three babies. That’s why my three sons are so short and adorable.”
Drake snorted. “Your three sons are no longer babies, Mom. We’re almost two hundred years old.”
“Hush. No matter how old you three get to be, I’ll always be your mommy dearest.”
Drake sighed before glaring at Edwin. “Not a word from you if you know what’s good for you.”
Edwin suppressed his laughter by pressing his lips together. “Yes, sweetheart.”
Drake narrowed both eyes at him for a brief moment before turning away from him. The three of them continued on their journey in silence for the most part, except for a couple of times when Mrs. Pelagius waved at the merpeople she was obviously friends with and gestured at him and Drake. He was proud to be introduced as Drake’s phoenix-mate. He tried to be discreet when he wrapped one possessive arm around Drake’s waist, but his mate snorted at him. Apparently, he wasn’t behaving as subtly as he thought he was.
When they reached one of the larger caves, a gigantic half-octopus, half-man swam toward them. Edwin gaped at the sight. Both Jefferson and Gavin were extremely muscular. Among the three of them, he was considered as the one with the smallest build. Regardless, he was used to both Jefferson and Gavin towering over him, not to mention their broader shoulders that made him look puny by comparison. This half-octopus, half-man had such a huge, muscular build that Edwin was sure Jefferson and Gavin would definitely be envious of it. He also wouldn’t deny he felt quite intimidated. However, he was astonished when Drake dashed toward the massive creature. Then, he observed in awe as those two embraced each other tightly.
“Dad!”
“Hello, Dray. Where are your brothers?”
“Still on land. We have yet to cure Balt, but I’m here with my mate to investigate the disappearances of our fellow merpeople.”
Edwin gulped as the octopus shifter glared at him before approaching him. He smiled and stretched out his hand for a handshake, but it took a moment for Drake’s father to accept it. He winced a little when his hand was squeezed really hard. He had no doubt his bones would have cracked into powder if he wasn’t a phoenix shifter.
“Great to meet you, Mr. Pelagius.”
“Likewise. Treat my son well and we will get along just fine.”
“Of course.”
Drake’s dad narrowed both eyes at him before speaking up. “How are you going to check for the missing merpeople?”
“I’m a hunter, serving directly under the council members. Having said that, I may have jurisdictions over all supernatural beings, but I prefer to have your assistance, especially since the ocean is your domain.”
That seemed to soften Drake’s father’s attitude toward him. “That will be fine. What do you need?”
“A list of the missing folks and the approximate dates of when they were discovered to be gone from their homes. Also, I’ll appreciate any other clues that you�
��ve found so far.”
“I have them all at home. I’m also waiting to hear from some of the merfolks sent to check things out on land. In the meantime, why don’t we discuss the details over lunch? Maybe you can shed some light on the things I might have glossed over. I’ve been studying the reports and going over the details multiple times. It will be helpful to have a fresh perspective.”
“That will be splendid. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go.”
After that, Drake’s parents swam hand in hand while Edwin and Drake trailed after them. Edwin grinned when Drake gave him two thumbs-up.
“He likes you, Ed.”
Edwin made sure he and Drake were far enough away from his mate’s parents before responding. “Are you sure about that, sweetheart? He’s terrifying. I can’t shake off the feeling that he wants nothing more than to strangle me and feed me to the sharks.”
Drake snickered. “My dad is a big softie. If he disliked you, he would never have invited you home for a meal with us regardless of whether you’re mated to me or otherwise.”
“That’s such a relief.”
Drake snorted. “You’ll be fine. My dad isn’t that frightening.”
“Easy for you to say. He loves you very much, and he’s obviously protective of you.”
Drake laughed out loud. “I’ll defend you from him then.”
Edwin nodded. “Great idea.”
Then, he wrapped one possessive arm around Drake and the two of them headed toward his mate’s childhood home. He couldn’t wait to get his hand on the information Drake’s dad had collected so far. The sooner he caught the one responsible, the faster he could allow himself to relax. The number of missing merpeople must have been alarming if the merpeople had begun to travel on land to investigate. He was determined to find the damn criminal as quickly as possible. After all, his merman-mate was a potential target. It would be a cold day in hell before he would let that occur under his watch.
Chapter Eleven
Drake enjoyed his visit with his parents. He even got to bring Edwin around his old haunting grounds. Not that they were able to hit all the spots he used to hang out at. Ever since several merpeople were reported as possibly missing by their respective communities, everyone was advised not to roam around out in the open ocean. He also didn’t want his parents to worry about his safety on top of their present burdens of looking after the other merpeople within their tight-knit community.
The Mark of the Phoenix [The Triplet Mermen Trilogy] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 8
