by C. W. Gray
Dover gave the beautiful structure a wary look before swimming through one of the servant entrances. Time to check up on the family. Unfortunately. Maybe Shauna and Nami would be wrong, and his father would be happy that Dover had heard the mating call.
Chapter 2
Ben Elliott sent another full rack of dishes through the industrial dishwasher. The restaurant he worked in wasn’t big, but it got a lot of business from tourists in the summer. He pulled a stack of plates a server had dropped off over and cleaned them before starting to fill a new rack.
“Fuck, my feet hurt,” Stewart told Ryan. The two servers unloaded trays full of dishes.
“Welcome to tourist season at the beach,” Ryan said, laughing. “If you’re still around in the winter, you’ll get a break. Trust me.”
“Why aren’t you limping?” Stewart asked. “You worked a double tonight.”
Ryan’s grin was pure predator. “Wolf shifter, remember? I’m bigger and badder than you puny humans.”
Stewart snorted and looked at Ben. “Did he or did he not scream when he saw that spider next to the dumpster yesterday and come get you to kill it?”
Ben grunted, but gave Ryan a sympathetic look. The young shifter didn’t like spiders. Lots of people didn’t.
Ryan sniffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He turned and left.
Stewart laughed. “Should I tell him that you just moved it to the tree line?”
Ben grinned. “Maybe not.”
Stewart cackled as he left the dishwashing station.
The next hour moved quickly as the last of the customers left and the kitchen closed down. The servers finished their side work and cashed in their tips while the cooks did the prep for the next morning.
Ben finished the dishes, put them up, and sanitized his station before taking out the last of the garbage. He stood under the street light beside the dumpster and rolled his stiff shoulders. His job wasn’t too bad. He had plenty of time to think and most people didn’t mind that he was quiet.
His eye caught on the thin web clinging to one of the nooks of the dumpster. “Miss Spider, you really shouldn’t make this your home. Ryan’s screeching hurts the ears, and they pick up the trash every morning.”
He grabbed a piece of cardboard from one of the broken boxes and gently slid the big, fat spider onto it before walking to the tree line. He went farther this time, hoping the spider would find a good home.
Rustling in a bush startled him and he froze in place. A big, grey wolf walked slowly out of the bush, a knapsack dangling in its mouth. Ryan’s golden wolf eyes gave Ben a look of betrayal when he saw the spider.
“It’s just a little spider,” Ben reminded the wolf shifter. “You’re a big badass, remember?”
Ryan growled around his package and turned around, leaving Ben and the spider behind.
“See what I mean, Miss Spider? You really need to make your home in one of these trees or Ryan may get up the courage to squash you.” Ben gently helped the spider to the closest tree, then turned around.
He yelped at the sudden appearance of the short figure in front of him.
Old Hester smiled, chuckling. “I love scaring you young’uns. Come on handsome, you act like you never seen an old lady before.”
Ben cleared his throat. “Hi Hester. You startled me.” The old witch was well known in the small coastal town. She sold charms to the tourists and read cards for the locals. She lived in one of the ramshackle beach houses that lined the coast, more specifically, in the one next to his own.
“I need a ride home, Benny.” She grinned, her teeth crooked, but her eyes warm and friendly.
“Yes, ma’am.” He knew better than to point out he rode a bike and she had rheumatoid arthritis. She liked the wind in her wiry grey hair and he wouldn’t begrudge her a thing like that.
He walked with her back to the restaurant and made sure the doors were locked and the security on. He handed her his extra helmet. He’d taken to carrying it with him for just this occasion. The old woman had a way of finding him, no matter where he was.
He got on and helped her load onto the seat behind him before pushing off. He smiled when Hester wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his back. He liked the witch.
Ben pulled off the highway and started down the winding beach road. He enjoyed the quiet night and the fresh air. He had grown up in Georgia, but had loved visiting his great-aunt during the summer.
Aunt Prue had lived in Burnsley, South Carolina her whole life, and when she’d died, she’d left him her house. He had decided not to reenlist, so the timing had been perfect, even though he missed her. She had been a kindhearted woman and had taught him a lot of things that his parents never bothered with.
He pulled into the graveled drive of Hester’s beach house. She slipped off his bike and took off the helmet and patted his cheek. “Thanks for the ride, handsome. When you get ready to sell your house, talk to Ryan. The boy is looking for his own place and he could use a break.”
Ben frowned. “I’m not planning on selling.”
Hester laughed and handed him the helmet. “You will.” She gave him a soft look. “You’re a gentle soul, Ben, but you’re a fighter too. Don’t hesitate to fight for what’s yours.”
He watched her, puzzled, as she made her way to the door. Her familiar, a large grey and white cat, watched him from the window, green eyes calm and knowing. Giving up on understanding the woman, he turned around and drove the short distance to his own house.
Aunt Prue’s house had been worn and in need of a good coat of paint when he’d inherited it. After a year of living there, Ben had managed to fix it up. The small two-bedroom house was right on the beach and had a nice deck on the back. There was even a dock a mile down the road where he stored his fishing boat. Why would I sell it?
A brown furry face filled the front window and barked at him.
“Coming, buddy.” Ben parked his bike and hurried to unlock the front door.
Otis almost knocked him over as he ran out to the front yard to do his business. Ben winced. It had been a long shift.
His dog was a golden doodle with curly brown fur. The same day he had left Fort Benning in Georgia, he had headed toward South Carolina with nothing but an old beat-up truck, his bike, and a couple of duffel bags. He had found Otis at a truck stop. The puppy had been starving, filthy, and covered in fleas.
Otis finished his business and ran to Ben, woofing softly.
Ben knelt and hugged him. “I’m sorry you had to wait, Otis. Another few long days and I’ll have some time off. We can go fishing.”
Otis licked his face and Ben laughed. “You just like the snacks I bring when we go fishing.”
After feeding Otis and fixing a quick dinner for himself, Ben stretched out in the lounge chair on the back deck. The clear night sky was full of stars and the crash of the waves on the shore soothed him.
Otis climbed into his lap, the big dog moving around until he was comfortable with his head settled on Ben’s chest. “Why would I sell this place, Otis? It’s paid for and quiet. I like my job well enough, and I have you.”
“Woof.”
“Yeah, I love you too, buddy.” Ben smoothed a hand over his dark, toffee-colored hair. He was still getting used to having more than stubble, and the thick and springy curls were getting a little out of control. He thought about calling Eloise, but she had an early shift tomorrow and it was late.
Otis leaned up and licked his chin.
“I’m not lonely, Otis. I’m really not.”
Otis’ brown eyes were knowing as they watched him.
“I have a good life.” Ben leaned his head back and looked at the stars. “Maybe having an omega of my own would be good. Stewart and Jennifer seem happy together.”
Otis’ tongue hung out of his mouth as he grinned.
“My omega would have to be a man.” Ben swallowed hard. “Mom and Dad won’t like that.”
The day he’d c
ome out to them was the last day they had bothered to talk to him at all. He had been about to enlist in the Marine Corps and had gathered every bit of courage he had to tell them. They had reacted exactly as expected.
“Woof.”
“You’re right. They don’t matter anyway. No one here cares that I’m gay. Remember when Stewart made me and Ryan go on a date?” Ben laughed. “That was horrible. I can’t believe Hester cut in and ate dinner with us before walking me home. Ryan thought that was the funniest shit he’d ever seen.”
Ben thought it had happened exactly how it should have. He and Ryan made good friends, but he didn’t think they would have suited as lovers.
“Let’s get some rest, Otis.” Ben maneuvered the two of them out of the chair.
After a quick shower, he let Otis out one more time, then the two climbed into bed. The house was quiet, but the wind and waves were some comfort. An omega would be nice, but why would I sell this place?
“Bring Otis with you,” Stewart called out, tossing his apron into the backseat of his car. “You know Jenn loves your dog.”
“Otis is a good boy,” Ryan said, yawning. “Why are we having a cook-out at one in the morning?”
“Because we’re hungry and we work late,” Stewart said. “Jenn already invited everyone, so I think it’s turning into a party.”
Ben grunted. He would much rather work on a new project or go to bed early. I’m too old for a party.
The three men jumped when Hester appeared next to them. “Where the hell did you come from, Hester?” Ryan asked, hand pressed to his chest.
“None of your business.” Hester scowled. “I need a ride to the party, Ben. We can take your truck so Otis can come.”
Ryan laughed and patted his back. “Don’t you feel loved?”
Ben sighed. It looked like he had to go now. “I’ll pick you up.”
Hester grinned. “I need a ride home now too.”
Of course you do, he thought.
Forty-five minutes later, Ben parked his truck on the side of Stewart and Jenn’s street. There were already several vehicles there. “Ready, Hester?”
The old woman looked at him, eyes hard. “There better be no foolin’ around Benny. You hear me?”
Ben blinked. “What?”
Hester patted his cheek. “You need to save yourself for your mate?”
Ben opened his mouth, then closed it. What the hell?
“Next week is gonna be a real good week, Ben. Get the beer from the back, okay?”
Ben did as he was told and gave a manly squeak when he came face to face with a beaver. “Damn it, Eloise!”
The beaver’s form shimmered for a moment, then elongated and morphed into a young woman with dark brown hair. Between her love of pranks and crude beaver jokes, Eloise was the town menace. Unfortunately, she was also his best friend.
Eloise fell against the two cases of beer, laughing. “You should have seen your face, Ben. Oh, dam, that was so much fun. Get it? Dam?” She laughed harder.
Hester cackled. “It’s not nice to startle the poor humans, girly. Now, put your clothes on. You got a little longer than Ben, but you don’t need to be showing off the goods either.”
Eloise scowled and stood up, posing for them. “Whatcha talking about, old woman? These goods are too impressive to hide.”
Ben rolled his eyes and grabbed the beer before leaving the two laughing women behind. He met Ryan at the door and the two took a couple of the beers to Stewart’s back porch. Stewart and Jen didn’t live on the beach, but they had a nice view of a wooded area.
Ryan stretched out in a chair and yawned. “It was busy tonight.”
“Make good money?”
The wolf grinned. “Yeah. The tourists always get generous when they get tipsy.”
Ben thought about what Hester had said. “You doing alright at the pack house?”
Ryan made a face. “I keep annoying Dahlia. Her mate’s pregnant and she’s especially grumpy since she’s worried about Alicia.” He looked wistful for a moment. “I’d like my own place one day. Maybe somewhere on the beach.”
Ben grunted and handed the shifter another beer. “Hester helped them, right?” Dahlia was the alpha of the local wolf pack. She and Alicia had struggled for years to conceive. They were an alpha and beta pairing, so fertility had been a problem.
Ryan took a long drink. “Yeah. It took some time, but it worked. I’m really happy for them, don’t get me wrong. I’m just afraid I’ll mess something up for them. I’m too old to be living in the pack house anyway, even if I’m the alpha’s little brother.”
Ben grunted again. What’s Hester scheming?
“Benny,” Eloise said and sat in his lap. “Why won’t Hester let me flirt with Jolene?”
Ryan laughed. “Maybe she’s had a premonition about something bad happening if you mess around with Jolene.”
“She told Ben to keep his pants on too.” Eloise sniffed and settled her head on his shoulder. “She’s so rude.”
Ryan grinned. “Witches know stuff, Ellie. Ben is practically virginal anyway. Trust me. We see each other almost every day, so I would have smelled it on him if he had been with anyone the past year.”
Ben scowled. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Okay. Maybe the wolf did know what he was talking about. It had been a while.
“Good point,” Eloise said. “He’d smell all sexed up, even after a few showers.”
Sometimes it sucked to be human.
Chapter 3
Dover swam through the busy halls of the castle, trying to stay out of the way of the guppy-tailed servants. They smiled at him as they swam past and Dover felt his nervousness start to drain away.
“Your Highness, why are you in the servants’ hall?” Ervin’s hand on Dover’s shoulder made him pause. The green guppy-tailed merman was the castle’s Steward and had always been kind to Dover. There had been more than one time the merman had held him as he cried after Lorelai had said something particularly cruel.
Dover bit his lip. “Do you know if Father has a moment?”
Ervin gave him a gentle smile. “Let’s go check, shall we? His assistant mentioned he had a busy schedule today, but I’m sure he would like to see you.”
Dover followed him through the water-filled hallways. The servants’ entrance was plain solid walls and lighting, and he knew they had left it behind when the plain lighting turned to fancy strands of fairy lights that glinted off the jewel-encrusted murals decorating the walls. Sand, shells, coral, and sea urchins covered the floor, adding to the beauty of the royal castle.
“How have you been, Prince Dover?” Ervin smiled over his shoulder. “We haven’t seen you here at the castle in quite a while.”
Before he could reply, his mother caught sight of him. Queen Kelby loved the water-filled castle and spent most of her time there. She looked much like Lorelei with an angelfish tail and bright blonde hair.
The Queen’s beauty, however, was sophisticated and graceful. She wore an elaborate pearl and conch-shell crown and a wispy golden robe, the hem weighted down with rows of pearls. Long strands of graduated pearls encircled her neck.
Six well-dressed mermaids swam behind her, a constant presence for as long as he could remember. They all came from the noble families of the Southern Silver Isles and had been his mother’s closest friends when she was a child. Each of them gave him a cool look and he suddenly wished he had remembered to wear a shirt.
“Dover? What a surprise.” She gave him a small smile, but didn’t rush to hug him. It had been three months since he last saw her.
Shauna would hug me and lecture me about visiting more, he thought. No. Shauna wouldn’t have let three months pass.
“I’ve heard the mating call,” he blurted out, then flushed and covered his mouth. He hadn’t meant to be so blunt.
Queen Kelby arched an eyebrow. “And?”
Dover gave her a confused look. “And I need to go find him.”
His mot
her sighed. “Dover, royalty doesn’t heed the mating call. Your marriage will be arranged by your father and Lord Eades.” She paused. “Well, unless the call led you to someone in one of the noble families. Has it?”
Dover looked at the sandy floor, watching a hermit crab walk under his tail. “No.”
“Then, there’s no need to worry about the mating call.” Queen Kelby nodded firmly. “You should, however, worry about your wardrobe. The necklace is nice, but you aren’t even wearing your crown, Dover.”
“Your Majesty,” Ervin bowed deeply. “If I may, I’ll escort the young prince to the treasury and fetch his crown. I do believe he left it there.”
“Very well,” Queen Kelby said, and nodded at them before swimming past with her constant escort.
Ervin waited until they had turned the corner before pulling Dover into a small niche. “You’ve heard the mating call? Where is it taking you?”
Dover smiled shakily. “Northwest. It doesn’t matter, though. Right?”
“Wrong,” Ervin said, voice hard. “The mating call is a sacred gift from our goddess. Not everyone hears it, and those that do, must honor the sea and follow the call.”
Dover blinked. Ervin never spoke against the King and Queen. “What are you saying?”
Ervin looked sad for a moment. “It’s not common knowledge, Your Highness, and I trust you will keep it to yourself, but your mother heard the mating call after she was engaged to your father. Her family insisted she ignore it, so she did. She has been a loyal wife to your father, but you know your parents, bluetail.”
Dover swished his tail in agitation. His parents were hardly ever together in public and when they were, there were no displays of affection. “Does Father know?”
“Yes.” Ervin sighed. “There is very little freedom in a position of power. Your father needed a queen, and your mother wanted the position.”
Dover didn’t have to ask why his father needed a queen. He needed as many children as possible to carry on their bloodline in case one or two were killed off. Stupid fucking Sea Witch curse.
