by C. W. Gray
“Chubber?” Ben’s eyes were stuck on Dover’s plump ass cheeks.
Dover looked over his shoulder and grinned. “He’s my friend.”
Ben flushed and raised his eyes to Dover’s face. “He likes otters?”
“Chubber is an otter.”
Ben’s eyes felt heavy, but he did his best to follow the conversation. “He’s a shifter?”
“Nope. Just the best otter in all the world. He doesn’t like saltwater or he’d have been here too.” Dover stood up and looked out the window, bouncing on his toes. “I see George! At least, I think that’s George. The Wet Beaver is written on the side of the boat, and George is a beaver, so it must be him. Wait. The Wet Beaver?”
“Eloise,” Ben managed to say before his eyes closed again.
When he woke again, he was in a hospital room. Dover stood next to the window with an older man Ben didn’t recognize. Unfortunately someone had found some clothes for the merman.
“Isn’t he the most handsome man you’ve ever seen, George?” Dover wiggled in place. “His eyes are like my favorite coffee. I really like coffee, George.”
The man chuckled. “I’m aware, kid.”
Dover pressed his hands to his cheeks and pushed them up. “His cheekbones are so sharp, and he’s brown all over. I checked.”
“Dover! Is that why he was naked when we got there?”
Dover gave George a stubborn look. “I had to make sure he didn’t have any other injuries.”
“For the love of birch trees, son, you act like you’ve never seen a man before.”
Dover rolled his eyes and Ben struggled not to laugh. “Men are just men. Ben is perfection. Did you see his shoulders?”
Movement to his left made him turn his head and he winced at the pain it caused. Eloise sat in a chair beside him, her round chin propped on her fist.
“Uncle George won’t tell me who the rando is or where he came from,” Eloise whispered. “He’s obsessed with you.”
“He’s not a rando. He’s Dover.”
“Dover, huh?” Eloise smirked. “I take it this is going to be a mutual obsession?”
Ben thought of blue tails and dark eyes. “Yeah. Definitely mutual.”
“Ben? Are you awake?” Dover ran to his side and took his hand. “The doctor said you were okay, but you have a concussion. You get to go home tomorrow, and I’m going to watch over you to make sure you’re really okay.”
Ben thought maybe he should have minded a stranger inviting himself over, but it was Dover. He was supposed to go home with Ben. That’s just how it was.
“You want to sit up?” Eloise asked.
“Yeah.”
Dover and Eloise helped him sit up and his stomach started churning. Dover grabbed a wastebasket just in time to hold it as Ben puked. Nice impression I’m making here.
Eloise took George back to her house and promised to check on Otis, but Dover never left Ben’s side. The young man sat by his bedside, looking decidedly grumpy. “Who’s this Otis everyone keeps talking about?”
Ben hid a smile. “He’s my dog.”
Dover’s eyes widened and he smiled excitedly. “A dog? I’ve never played with a dog before. Does he like water? Do you think he’ll hurt Chubber?”
“Chubber?”
“Remember,” Dover said, biting his lip. “I told you. Chubber’s my friend. He’s a river otter.”
A sleek furry brown face peeked over the top of Dover’s loose, buttoned-up jacket. The otter chirped quietly and watched Ben.
Ben blinked. “Uh, you brought him into the hospital.”
Dover frowned, eyes sad. “I couldn’t leave him outside by himself.”
Ben didn’t like the vulnerability on Dover’s face. “Hi, Chubber.”
The little otter chirped again and wiggled under Dover’s shirt. “Be still, Chubber,” Dover whispered, then gave Ben a concerned look. “He’s just a baby so he doesn’t listen too well.”
Ben’s eyes were getting heavy again. “Why isn’t he with his mom?”
Dover blushed. “His mom is a friend of mine. I met him right after he was born and he decided he was mine. Shell doesn’t mind too much. She has plenty of pups.”
“What about your family?” Ben asked, even as his eyes closed.
“You should get some sleep,” he heard Dover say.
The next morning Ben sat in the passenger side of Eloise’s car, trying not to laugh as his best friend and Dover fought over who would help him from the car.
Dover shoved Eloise to the side. “I’ll help him.”
Eloise glared and hip bumped Dover away from the door. “He’s my best friend. I’ll help him.”
Dover gasped. “Your big butt won’t stop me. Move over.”
“My butt is not big you blue-haired fish face.” Eloise shoved Dover, then screeched when Chubber popped out of the man’s jacket to hiss at her.
George sighed. “Come on, Ben. I’ll help you to the house.”
Ben grinned. “I’m really okay. I just like watching those two fight.”
Dover and Eloise glared at one another, not even noticing when Ben got out of the car. They started circling one another.
George chuckled. “Eloise is a suspicious one, that’s for sure. She’ll settle down once she gets to know Dover. He’s a sweet young man.” He steadied Ben as they walked toward the house.
“You pulled my hair,” Eloise yelled. “The son of a bitch actually pulled my hair!”
Hester met them at Ben’s door, Otis at her side. Ben’s dog barked and started running around Ben and George.
“Otis is happy to see you.” Hester gave him a sad look. “He wouldn’t have made it, you know. If he had gone with you yesterday.”
Ben slowly knelt down and hugged the golden doodle. “Thank you, Hester. I don’t know what I’d do without him.” He looked up. “Why didn’t you tell me not to go?”
The witch shrugged and nodded toward where Dover still squabbled with Eloise. Chubber now perched on her head, tugging her hair in his little paws, while Dover tried to dodge Eloise’s slaps.
Hester chuckled. “Some things need to happen. You’ll thank me later.”
Dover froze in the middle of pinching Eloise’s side. “Is that Otis? Oh, he’s so cute. Chubber, isn’t he cute?”
Chubber paused and looked at the dog. He tilted his head and chirped curiously.
Otis watched the small otter carefully. “Woof.”
Chubber immediately let go of Eloise’s hair and jumped from her head, scurrying over to Otis. He stood on his back legs and patted Otis’ face. Ben thought he must like what he saw. The otter gurgled, then climbed on top of Otis’ back. He lay flat, then started to purr.
Dover clapped, then hugged Eloise, surprising the woman. “Look! They like each other.”
Eloise wrinkled her nose, but let Dover hug her. Her eyes met Ben’s over the merman’s head. “Your man is weird.”
Chapter 5
Dover pushed Eloise away and hurried to Ben’s side, maneuvering under his arm and against his side. “I have you, Ben. Let’s get you inside so you can relax.”
An older woman with long grey and brown hair watched him, eyes shining with happiness. “I’m glad you finally made it here, bluetail.”
Dover yipped, eyes wide. How does she know my nickname?
“I’m Hester,” she said. “Don’t you go worrying about me saying something, kid. I know when to keep my mouth shut, and George here is a good friend.”
Ben blinked sleepily. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing,” Dover said quickly, and helped his mate through the doorway. He leaned up and sniffed Ben as they walked. Smells so good!
“Bluetail, huh? It fits. Why are you sniffing Ben?” Eloise asked.
Dover stuck his tongue out at her. The beaver shifter reminded him of Nami. He missed his best friend so much and it had only been a week.
Eloise laughed and pushed past them. “Stewart and Ryan checked over your boat, Ben,
and brought your catch home. They cleaned it and put it in the freezer.”
“Thanks,” Ben said, and Dover shivered. His mate’s voice was deep and husky.
So delicious, he thought, then gasped, distracted by all the wonderful shinies around the room.
Ben’s beach cottage was simple and cozy, but that wasn’t what caught Dover’s eyes. All around the room were pieces of the most exquisite glass art. There were vines made of tiny bits of green glass hanging from the ceiling in front of the windows. Hidden within them were small, colorful glass flowers. There were pretty vases made of broken pieces of glass and metal, and small blown glass figurines sitting on tables and bookshelves.
The most beautiful piece of all hung above the couch. The ocean with a large wave curling at the top was framed in driftwood and made of hundreds of shards of glass in various blues. Brown and white bits formed the shapes of starfish at the bottom of the picture and a pretty blue shell sat nestled among green strands of kelp.
Dover felt the sting of homesickness, but pushed it away as he helped Ben sit on the comfy-looking couch. Otis, with Chubber on his back, hopped up on the couch beside Ben and settled his head on the human’s knee.
Ben stroked the dog’s silky ears. “Sorry for the scare, buddy.”
Dover plastered himself to Ben’s other side and pet Otis too. “Hi, Otis. I’m Dover and this is Chubber. It’s nice to meet you.”
Otis gave him a doggy smile, then closed his eyes.
“Smart doggy,” Dover said. “You should rest a bit while I unpack.”
Ben leaned his head against the back of the couch and closed his eyes, a smile stretched across his face. “Yes, sir.”
Eloise narrowed her eyes. “Why are you unpacking?”
Dover slowly slid out of his seat, careful not to disturb Ben and Otis. He pulled Eloise into the kitchen, hoping Ben would sleep. “I have to take care of Ben,” he whispered to Eloise. “Duh.”
“The doctor said he would be fine with a little rest,” Eloise said, hands on her hips. “There’s no reason for you to stay. You’re just some stranger.”
Dover’s lip trembled. He was just some stranger. A stranger that was a long way from everything familiar.
“Fuck,” Eloise said, groaning. “Don’t look like that. I’m sorry, alright? Damn it, you act like you two are mates... Oh.”
Dover gave her a panicked look. “You can’t say anything, okay? I don’t want him to run screaming and George said humans are kinda odd about mates.”
Eloise rubbed her hands over her face. “They normally are. They don’t mingle well with other species. Hell, other species don’t mingle well either. My little brother married an omega vampire and I thought Mom was going to murder him.”
Dover’s lip trembled again. “His family won’t like me?”
Eloise patted his shoulder. “They don’t like Ben, so I wouldn’t worry about it. Hester and I are Ben’s family. He has a few friends in the area, but they’ll like you too.”
Dover snarled. “What’s wrong with his family? Why don’t they like him? He’s perfection and all things beautiful.”
Eloise snorted. “Holy oak trees, you’re just sad.”
“Eloise,” Dover said sternly, glaring at the woman.
“Okay, so his parents don’t like that he’s gay, because they’re Beta Fundamentalists. They’re all man goes with woman and that’s it. They obviously hate alpha women and omega men too, so I wouldn’t even try with them.” Eloise shrugged. “He hasn’t talked to them in years.”
Dover knew some people were resentful of alpha women for being able to impregnate others and omega men for being able to get pregnant. Hell, Lord Eades hadn’t made his own disgust with them a secret.
If the Beta Fundamentalist Church had a branch in the Silver Isles, Lord Eades would be a member of it. Dover kinda looked forward to seeing Eades’ face when Talia inherited the throne.
Dover hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter. “Family can be complicated.”
“Tell me about it.” Eloise snorted. “My parents don’t like Uncle George because he decided to captain a ship instead of going into construction like the rest of us. They think all beavers should stick to building.”
“George is a really good captain,” Dover said. “He brings people all over the world and has lots of shiny things in his cabin.”
Eloise arched a brow. “Where did he find you?”
Dover gave her a blank look. “Uh, South America?”
“Hey, kid,” George said, grabbing Eloise’s attention. “I put your bags in the hallway.”
Dover jumped off the counter and bounced over to the man to hug him. “Thank you, George. Did you get Chubber’s bag too?”
“I did. Don’t want the little guy to be without his stash. I’m gonna pretend that I don’t know he stole my watch.” George chuckled. “It’s an old one anyway. Got it in Cairo twenty years ago.”
Dover winced. “Sorry about that. I’ll pay you for it.”
George hugged him back. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take Eloise and we’ll get out of your way.”
“I still have questions,” Eloise said grumpily.
“I know it’s a hard thing to do, but mind your own business,” George said, shaking his head. “Hester told me something interesting about you.”
Eloise looked startled. “What?”
George started toward the front door. “You’ll have to come with me to find out.”
Eloise groaned, but followed her uncle outside.
Dover smiled. He really loved George.
He peeked into the living room and saw that Ben was stretched out on the couch sleeping. Otis slept on top of Ben’s stomach and legs, and Chubber curled up on his chest.
“Time to snoop,” he whispered and grabbed his bag.
Dover walked through Ben’s home, admiring all the glass art. The small house had two bedrooms. He walked into Ben’s bedroom and sighed happily. Everything smelled like his human. He set his bag down and jumped on the large bed, giggling as he bounced. He buried his face in Ben’s pillow and sniffed deeply.
I’m sleeping right here tonight, he thought. Dover knew he should try to take things slowly so his mate could get to know him, but he didn’t want to. All he wanted was to be near Ben. His mate was so handsome with his dark skin and bouncy curls, and his smile turned Dover’s heart to mush.
It had frightened him to see Ben fall into the sea during the storm, and he had never been so happy to be an impulsive stalker. When George and he had arrived at Eloise’s house, the mating call had pulled Dover straight to the ocean. He had seen his human fall in and immediately dragged him back to the storm-tossed boat.
“Never again,” Dover whispered against the pillow. “I’ll protect my Ben forever.”
He reluctantly climbed out of bed and took a few minutes to unpack his bag. He probably should have packed more clothes, but he had wanted to bring his favorite shinies with him.
He hung a few around the room and spread his jewels across the top of the old, chipped dresser before going to explore the rest of the small beach house. The other bedroom looked like a workshop. There was a wooden desk covered with notebooks, pencils, compasses, and a laptop.
Over by the window was a large metal table with all types of tools on it that Dover didn’t recognize. There were also markers and little bottles that looked like paint.
Besides that, the room was full of boxes and shelves that were covered with bits of glass and driftwood.
“My mate’s an artist,” he said quietly, feeling overwhelmed knowing that Ben was responsible for the beautiful glass art pieces that decorated the house. “I’m so lucky.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his favorite pearl. It was a perfectly round, greyish-blue freshwater pearl. As a prince, he had full access to the royal treasury and his mother often pressured him to take and wear some of the beautiful, but elaborate, sets of jewelry.
He had never found any of his shinies in
the royal treasury.
Ben’s voice came from behind him. “Hey, Dover. Are you okay? I’m sorry the place is so messy. I wasn’t expecting company.”
Dover spun around. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”
Ben grinned, looking exhausted. “Had to take a piss. What’s that?”
Dover tugged the big alpha into the room and pushed him into the well-cushioned chair next to the window. Ben leaned back and gave him a curious look.
Dover held out his favorite pearl. “This is my favorite treasure.”
Ben took it and held it up to the light. “It’s beautiful, Dover. I don’t know a lot about pearls. What kind is this?”
“It’s a Southern Silver Isles freshwater pearl. It’s small and one of the most inexpensive varieties,” Dover said, and scooted into Ben’s lap. “When I was really little, three of my sisters were making fun of me. They called me mean names and pulled my tai... toe. They pulled my toe. Anyway, I ran away and holed up in a storage room to cry.”
Ben cupped his face, and Dover leaned into his hand. “Your sisters sound like assholes.”
“Some are mean, some just don’t care.” Dover shifted closer, enjoying the feel of Ben’s hard thighs beneath him. “Anyway, one of the, uh, one of my father’s employees found me. Ervin picked me up and hugged me until I stopped crying. When I told him what they said, he kissed my head and told me that being beautiful wasn’t about how I looked. He said the rarest pearl in the Silver Isles would only bring joy to a person that truly treasured it. He told me my sisters didn’t know how to treasure anything.”
“Or anyone,” Ben whispered, nuzzling Dover’s ear.
“Ervin had a string of pearls that his mate gave him on their wedding day.” Dover sniffled. “He told me that those pearls didn’t cost a lot of money, but he treasured them more than pure gold. His mate had collected each one himself, then strung them together.”
“It was a gift of love,” Ben said.
Dover nodded, pleased that Ben understood. “Ervin treasured them because he knew they symbolized his mate’s love. He pulled one off the strand and gave it to me and said that he knew how to properly treasure people and he would teach me too.”
