“Oh. Kai.”
“Lovely name. So, what is it?”
Abraham spread out his arms. He hoped the gesture made sense. “I need something large that holds water. Something bigger than a small human.”
“Your Kai likes baths?”
“You could say that.”
Littlefoot frowned. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Abraham glanced around him to see if there were shoppers nearby. After an elderly gentleman scuttled away, he strode to Littlefoot. He stopped just short of colliding with him. He shot one last look around and leaned in. “Kai is, well, she’s sort of… She’s a mermaid.”
The wrinkles around Littlefoot’s aged face flattened as his eyes grew wide. “A mer…really?”
“We already had a problem with her being out of the water too long. The two of us can’t keep hauling ass back to the lake every time she needs to change. Besides, her people know that the North Cabin is how to get to us. I don’t trust the sons of bitches not to try to come and snag her away from me. So I need something big enough for her to float in.”
Littlefoot studied him for a moment and spun on his toe. He headed for the door. “Come on.”
Abraham jogged to catch up with him. “We’re going someplace else?”
“No. Outside. What you need is outside in the yard behind the building. It’s too large to be inside.”
They circled the building to the fenced-in sales area where the large farm equipment was kept. Only a couple of men shopped back there, both dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, and plaid shirts, even though the summer morning was already toasty. One lone employee in a royal blue vest scrambled between the two of them.
Littlefoot took a second to get his bearings. He led the youngest Hallow across the yard to the far corner. Water troughs in both galvanized steel and hard plastic were haphazardly stacked one on top of the other.
Abraham’s eyes grew wide as he studied them. He could only make one word out. “Wow.”
Littlefoot chuckled. “Will these work for Kai?”
“I think.” Abraham took a step closer to inspect them. “I don’t think these metal ones will be comfortable on her skin.”
“What about the plastic ones?” Littlefoot pointed at the mountain of troughs that teetered dangerously toward them. “How tall is she?”
Abraham silently lay the blade of his hand in the middle of his chest. He flinched a little. How he didn’t squish little Kai when they fucked was beyond him. He wasn’t a small guy.
“Huh,” Littlefoot responded. He must have had the same thought as Abraham. The older man shook his head and continued. “You should be fine with the plastic one, Abe. It’s plenty deep. She’s just going to lounge in it, right? She’s not planning to swim?”
“I just need to keep her wet,” Abraham answered.
“You’ll be fine with it. How are you hauling it home?”
“I have Zeke’s truck.”
“A man with a plan, I see. Do you need my help getting it in the bed of the truck?”
Abraham cocked a grin at him. “Sure. Want to help me unload it at home?”
Littlefoot chuckled. “Sure. I can visit your mom then since I had to cancel our morning tea.”
Abraham felt his face contort instinctively. The thought of Momma and anyone, especially Littlefoot, doing the nasty gave him the creeps.
Littlefoot cocked his head to the side. “Got a problem?”
He shrugged. “I don’t. But you spend a lot of time with Momma.”
The older man blew out a heavy sigh. “I have feelings for Evelyn. Strong ones. I believe she has them for me too.”
Abraham stifled a laugh. “Believe? She goes batshit crazy when you’re around. I think her feelings are confirmed.”
Littlefoot cracked a smile at him. “Noted. But the curse keeps us from acting on our feelings. I never want to replace Zane in her heart. But fuck it. I want my shot.”
Abraham’s eyes grew wide as he stared at Littlefoot. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say fuck before.”
“I’ve been around you boys too long.” Littlefoot laughed and continued. “Go take care of this so we can load it and get back to camp.”
Abraham hurried to the lone cashier outside to buy the trough. He glanced back at Littlefoot standing guard of the pile as if there would be a sudden rush for watering troughs. He smiled. He had to agree that he wished the curse could be lifted. Littlefoot and Momma certainly deserved to be happy together.
Once the container was purchased, Abraham, Littlefoot, and two sales associates hauled it to the front of the store and struggled it into the back of the truck. Abraham hopped in behind the wheel and fired it on. He waited for Littlefoot to back out of his parking spot before he shifted into gear and followed him. He bobbled the wheel as he found his playlist again. The cab was rocking as the Bemidji city limits sign flew by his window.
Chapter Eight
As the thick trees of the forest broke to reveal the Hallow’s camp, Abraham banked hard to the right. He came inches from hitting one of the wooden planters that they used to grow vegetables. The last planter was saved to plant Momma’s flowers. He thought Kai might appreciate the color when she was soaking. He pulled to a stop in front of it and shut down the engine. By the time his feet hit the soil beneath the vehicle, Littlefoot was crossing the camp to help him.
The scraping of the heavy plastic against the metal of the truck bed was sure to draw a crowd. Abraham could see bodies approach as the two men grunted and groaned the trough onto the ground. He bit back a snarl as one voice cut over the noise.
“What the fuck is that?” Josiah demanded.
Abraham spun at him and growled. “It’s a water trough for Kai. Now she has a place to immerse herself so we don’t have to race to the lake every time she gets too dry.”
“You’re going to drain our water supply to fill it?”
“So, you’re giving us permission to move to the North Cabin permanently?”
He didn’t miss the grumbles from the mated Hallows. Even those not of the werewolf persuasion objected to the idea. “The family stays together here. End of discussion.”
“Then it’s good I got the trough, huh?”
“It’s standing water, Abe. It’ll breed mosquitoes. We live in Minnesota, remember? Mosquitoes are our state fucking bird.”
“I’ll figure out how to ward them away.”
“It’ll be filled with leaves and dead bugs. Are you going to clean that up?”
“She used to swim where fish shit. I’m sure a leaf or two isn’t going to faze her.”
“Abe, do not…”
Abraham’s voice rose enough to startle everyone around. “I’m just trying to take care of my mate. I’m trying to keep her alive, okay? Get off my ass, Joe. Seriously.”
Josiah’s eyes grew wide for a moment and narrowed. “It’ll take all day for it to fill.”
Abraham huffed. “She can try it tonight.”
“Tonight is the start of the full moon. She goes with Momma and the rest of the mates to Littlefoot’s.”
Abraham shook his head. “Fuck, no. She stays here.”
“We’re not negotiating.”
“How is Littlefoot going to explain a mermaid in his bathtub to the rest of his family? She stays here with me. I can’t protect her there. I can here. Fuck, all of the mates can stay for all I care. Wasn’t I supposed to the be the dangerous one we were all afraid would eat the humans? I’m fine. I’m not eating anyone. One lack of judgment in that miserable craze we’re under when we change and you all make assumptions.”
“Do you understand what happens when you have sex with your mate during the full moon? We’re going into a war that could end this planet. We can’t bring any more children into this. You won’t be able to resist the pull between you and Kai.”
Abraham’s eyes narrowed. The hypocrisy his brother spouted off made his entire insides flame. Josiah wasn’t hunting with the other six brothers. He and his wif
e, Sarah, were heading to the North Cabin so they could get pregnant. Josiah’s words weren’t lost on the other Hallows. His five other brothers made snide comments under their breath loud enough so everyone could hear. At least they were in his favor.
“She’s a mermaid, Joe. We probably can’t have children. I’m not even sure how they procreate. What I do know is that my mate isn’t like the others. She isn’t human. And she doesn’t know this world and what it’ll do to her. I’m not giving her up, and everyone, including you, will have to go through me to get to her. She stays here.”
Josiah opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Micah. “Joe, we’ll keep an eye on them. The kid is right. We live here in hiding because we know humans can’t handle us. How are they going to respond to a real-life mermaid not in a cartoon? Not well, I’m guessing.”
Josiah scowled at Micah. “So, you’re going to keep them from fucking?”
“There’s worse things in the world than a fish/werewolf hybrid. Kai is a Hallow now. It’s our job as her family to protect her from those things.”
Josiah glanced from Micah to Abraham and threw up his hands. “Whatever. Do what you want. You’ll do it anyway. We need to get Momma and the mates to Littlefoot’s. Roll out in ten minutes.” He pointed at the trough as he glared at Abraham. “You can fill that while we’re gone. Got it?”
Abraham smirked at him. “That was my plan.”
The oldest Hallow stalked away toward his cabin as the rest of the family dispersed. Abraham spun on his toe to search for the beat-up garden hose. He stopped short as he caught sight of a brilliant flash of color.
Kai leaned against a tree, hugging the trunk as she stared at him. Her voluptuous curves molded against the bark. It made Abraham’s cock stand at attention, leaving an embarrassing tent in his shorts. Josiah wasn’t kidding about the attraction around a full moon. He felt as if he were about to burst into flames.
Kai tilted her head to the side as she bit her lower lip. Then she smiled. He felt his heart warm. She never said a word to him. She only gave him the sweetest smile he’d ever seen.
The slam of a cabin door sent her scampering into the woods. The pull inside him, the one that mated them, demanded he follow her, to pin her to a tree trunk and bury himself inside her. He glanced over his shoulder to see the family gathering at the cars to say goodbye. He grinned. There was about to be a full week of the full moon. And she was spending every moment she wanted in his bed whether Josiah liked it or not.
»»•««
The glow of the full moon filled the near black sky. The beams of light fractured into shards across the surface of the water. That was at least what it looked like from Kai’s perspective.
She wiggled to try to get comfortable as the plastic of the trough scraped her scales. She wasn’t a very big mermaid but it was too tight of a fit.
Not that she would complain. Abraham took it upon himself to get it for her so she could change into her true form as a mermaid. He hauled the thing into the woods and spent all day with a garden hose filling it. He just finished before the sun dipped below the tree line. He didn’t complain once. He didn’t get anything to eat and just took the occasional sips from the hose.
His dedication to her survival wasn’t what struck her heart. He defended her in front of his family. He promised to defend her. He put her needs before his. No one ever did that for her in all the years she was alive. She was a pawn to be bartered away. No one ever cared about her as much as Abraham Hallow did.
That made what Triton demanded of her impossible. It broke her heart to think about it but he invaded her thoughts every morning to remind her of her duties. He sent her images of her parents and siblings imprisoned. He made them suffer. She had to kill each and every Hallow and bring back the amulet or he would kill her family. A life for a life. That was all he wanted.
She stopped wading in the shallow pool when she heard the sound of a growl. Whatever made it was close. She was in no condition to take on a predator in her current form. If a bear or wolf attacked, she would be dead. She laid her palms on the bottom of the tub to push herself up and froze as a shadow blocked out the moon.
The creature was more terrifying than any she ever encountered even in her books. It was far larger than a wolf with fangs jutting from both sides of its snout. It was covered in coarse, white fur and had gold feral eyes. It glared at her through the ripples of water. Kai couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. Nothing she ever encountered terrified her like this monster did.
Then the beast cocked its head to the side. It seemed to study the length of her with a curious expression. Her heart raced out of control as it dipped its large head into the tub of water. It stuck out its tongue and licked her for a moment before it pulled free. Its touch sent a delicious volt of pleasure through her. Despite having fins instead of a human anatomy, an orgasmic rush left her quaking.
The beast tossed its large head back and forth like a dog trying to shake itself dry. Kai pushed herself out of the trough, her scales falling from her exposed skin like raindrops. She folded her arms along the edge and lay her head on them to watch it.
“You are a silly beast, aren’t you?” she said as she laughed.
It raised up and stared at her. It slowly crossed the grass until it reached her. Her breath caught in her throat as it nuzzled against her. Another jolt singed her nerves at its touch.
She frowned as she thought. It was like a wolf but much larger and far more dangerous. Although it should have torn her to the little fish bits, it was affectionate with her instead.
Kai rubbed its snout. “Abe?”
The beast tossed its head as if it were nodding. It was then she noticed the shadows behind it. Four more beasts just as terrifying as the one she was petting were prowling around the tree line, watching them. The numbers didn’t seem right. She bit back a gasp. The sixth was hunting at the North Cabin. The seventh was across the ocean in Thailand with his mates sealing their bond in marriage.
She let go a shuddering breath. “The Hallows.”
The beast dragged its rough tongue across her cheek. She hugged it tight to her, petting its soaked fur. She didn’t know how long she clung to it. She knew the other beasts didn’t leave.
She sucked in air before she spoke. She let go and sunk a little into the water. “You should go hunt with your brothers before the sun comes up.”
The werewolf glanced behind it at the others and lay down next to the tub. It curled up a bit and let go a huff. The other four disappeared into the woods.
Kai leaned against the edge of the tub and petted the monster. After a while, it tossed its head and thumped the tub with its nose a couple of time.
“Of course. See you at sunup.” Kai sunk back into the tub until it immersed her. She felt her scales form again in place of what was once skin. It wasn’t a comfortable process. She tried to avoid changing for quite a while and just remaining in her true state. It happened the day Abraham thought he lost her. She knew he was there. She seemed constantly aware of his presence. She didn’t want to go through the pain of her change any sooner than she had to.
She listened for any sign of her mate. She smiled as she heard the inhuman rumble of a werewolf snore. The rhythm was soothing. Her eyes grew heavy as the full moon above fell out of focus.
She jolted awake as the early morning sun above warmed the water of the tank. She shut her eyes tight as she steeled herself for the change. She sat up quick. Sometimes going fast minimized the discomfort. Other times it made it worse.
She looked around to see if anyone was there and saw the backsides of five gloriously naked men striding to their cabins. Her gaze locked on the last one. The image of Abraham naked sent shivers through her. It doused the ache of her change and left her full of need. She gripped the side of the tub and stood slowly, the rest of her scales falling into the water. Her fins split in two and wrapped around to form human legs. Once she felt stable, she hopped out and ran after her mate.
Kai crept into the cabin and wove around the furniture. She stopped briefly in the doorway of the bedroom. Abraham was asleep on the top of his comforter bathed in the sunlight that flooded his room. He had one arm tucked behind his head. His other hand laid across his hip mere inches from his thick, swollen erection.
Every thought fled her mind as she focused on it. It was morning. She could feel Neptune tugging on her mind to reiterate his command to kill the Hallows and bring him the amulet. She was sure he had fresh images of her family being tortured to remind her to obey.
Not one could penetrate the mindless need to mate. All she wanted, all she needed, was the man lying on the bed and his cock.
She climbed onto the bed and crawled across it between his spread legs. She watched him for a moment before she dipped her head and wrapped her mouth around his length.
He hissed as he awoke, his body curling into a sitting position to see what was happening. She sucked hard, lowering her head farther until the tip tapped the back of her throat. His belly cradled the top of her head. He weaved his fingers into her hair as he whimpered.
She braced herself with one hand on his thigh as he explored his body with her other. She fondled his sac and ran her fingers up the crack of his ass. She circled his puckered hole with a fingertip. She felt his cock swell in her mouth.
“Fuck, Kai,” he murmured. “Fuck. That was insane. I’m going to come.”
She did it a couple more times and clutched the flesh of his ass. He roared as he released. She swallowed as his cock pulsed against his tongue. She licked his flesh clean and pulled free of him.
He didn’t get a chance to let her go before she pushed him back onto the bed and climbed on top of him. She gripped his erection still damp with her saliva and guided it beneath her. She needed relief. Her body was on fire with need. She rocked her hips down on him, impaling him. It took a few hard strokes to envelop him completely.
He scooped a breast into his hand and suckled the pink bud as she rode him. His other rough hand caressed her ass. All she could focus on was the scrape of his teeth on her flesh and his cock deep inside her, filling every aching crevice she didn’t know she had. Her mind went void as he stretched her apart with each downward stroke. Her mouth went slack and her eyes glazed over. She didn’t care. This was primal. She needed this more than the water she swam in or the air she breathed.
Bantamweight Page 8
