“Only one man will do the killing,” he pointed out. “And they don’t always die. Some just get really close, and we can save them.”
“And those who aren’t saved?” she whispered over her shoulder.
“Hey, the maids gotta eat, too.” He chuckled.
Liv wanted to vomit. These people were so barbaric.
“Begin.” Liv heard Roen’s voice call out.
The sound of grunting and fists hitting bone filled the air.
Oh god. Oh god.
Then a wail prompted Liv to cup her hands over her ears. She couldn’t listen. Then within the span of a few seconds, the room exploded with cheers.
Jason tapped her shoulder, and Liv removed her hands.
“It’s done; you can look now,” he said.
Liv glanced over her shoulder toward the center of the room, where a man lay flat on his back, out cold. The other man—with short brown hair and fish-scale tattoos from the neck down—victoriously shook his fists toward the sky.
“Oh crap. Is he okay?” Liv asked.
Jason smiled. “Nope. Too bad. I really liked the guy.”
Liv winced. The man was dead. Dead. And everyone was behaving as if he’d lost a boxing match or arm-wrestling contest.
A few men dragged the dead guy outside, and the winner escorted the woman to the other side of the room. She beamed up at the guy like she’d won a brand-new car.
Roen stood from his throne, clapping. He wore his standard suede, nothing else, and looked like a damned sex god with his bronzed skin, sculpted lean muscles, and rippling washboard stomach. His hair, a rich brown made of golds and chestnut hues, fell down around his face, giving him a wicked, fierce look. Liv was in the process of pushing her desires down a deep, dark hole when Roen looked in her direction.
“You’re up.” Jason gave her a little shove toward Roen.
This is it. Keep calm. Whatever happens, keep calm. Her heart and stomach, however, were in a violent tailspin.
Roen locked eyes on her like a hungry predator and then gave her a cold nod. She nodded back and then stood at his side where the other woman had been.
“Those who wish to place their claim, please step inside the circle,” Roen said, his deep, authoritative voice bouncing off the dark gray stone walls.
The room fell into a tension-filled silence. Not one man stepped forward.
“Last call,” Roen repeated. “Any man who wishes to place a claim, please step into the circle.”
Not only didn’t anyone step forward, she noticed some of the men stepping away, repelled by her. They really believed she was defective or…rejected…or whatever Jason had called her.
“I place my claim.” In strutted Shane.
Oh shit. Where’s Dana? Liv guessed that Shane had her stashed close by in case Liv decided not to play things his way.
“Liv, nice to see you again,” Shane said and dipped his head. Liv didn’t dare look at Roen. She knew he might see right through her.
“Shane.” Liv smiled pleasantly.
“Per our laws,” Roen spoke to Shane, “you are the only man here who wishes to claim this female. Therefore, she is yours.”
What? Liv’s shock almost gave her away, but Shane made no effort to hide his. His face turned bright red, and his hands balled into tight trembling fists.
“Something the matter, Shane?” Roen asked.
Yeah, he wanted a fight and didn’t get one.
Roen continued, “You look disappointed. Of course, I would be too if I’d just claimed another man’s discarded female, but who am I to judge?”
The room filled with grumbles and laughter.
For a split second, Liv’s ego urged her to get upset. Then she realized what Roen was really doing: Turning the tables on Shane by not giving him what he wanted. In fact, he seemed to be egging Shane on. Maybe attacking Roen without cause would land Shane in some sort of hot water?
Mermaid-chow water?
Shane made a stiff little bow in Roen’s direction and then grabbed Liv’s hand before turning away to go take their place with the other couple.
Liv couldn’t believe it. Roen hadn’t lifted a finger for her. No, she wasn’t mad. She was relieved. Her plan had worked.
“There’s just one thing,” Shane said loudly for all to hear before facing Roen again.
“Yes, Shane?” Roen’s voice made it clear he held zero esteem for this man.
“Well,” Shane scratched his scruffy black stubble, “I really am an old-school kind of merman.”
“And?” Roen crossed his meaty arms over his broad chest.
“I like to adhere to the traditions of our forefathers. I think it shows respect to honor the ancient ways. I will claim my female here for all to see.”
Liv’s stomach made a little flip, and she jerked her hand away. Oh God. Shane had a plan B. Did Roen?
Shane went on, a snide smile glued to his face, “I think it will be a nice way to kick off the evening; show everyone how it’s done. A good bite to make her scream, and a good fuck to make her scream louder.”
Even the other men, who exchanged glances, seemed uncomfortable with this.
Roen stepped forward, his face filled with a calm, deadly coldness. “You’re saying you wish to humiliate the woman, and that is not allowed.”
Shane turned to Liv. “You won’t mind, will you, darling?”
Liv’s mouth opened, but it took a few moments for her to speak. “Um—um…no. That’s fine, if it will make Shane happy.”
“See,” Shane said, “she’s all for it.”
Shane grabbed Liv’s hand and stepped around Roen.
Oh fuck. This plan had gone terribly, terribly wrong.
Shane walked her over to Roen’s throne, and he gave her a little push. “Lean forward, honey. I think I’ll get us warmed up before the bite.”
Liv felt the tears welling in her eyes, and her knees shook so hard, she could barely stand. There was no way she could let him do this. No way. But then Dana would be put up for grabs next and then what?
Liv flinched when Shane placed his hand on her shoulder. The other hand reached down, sliding up her dress.
Liv began to twist away when Roen’s loud, restrained voice called out, “Shane, you can have the throne. It’s yours.”
Shane released her and turned.
“Yes,” Roen said. “You heard me right. It’s yours. I give it to you.”
“You can’t give me leadership. Giving is for pussies. It is the way of the weak.”
“I can,” Roen replied with a deep menacing tone, “because there is no law prohibiting my right to do so if I choose.” Roen threw out his arms. “So it’s yours. All I ask in return is to allow Liv and her sister to leave the island.”
Shane smiled. “I knew you didn’t have it in you to fight for her.” Liv knew Shane referred to the island, not herself. “Because you’re weak.”
Roen shrugged. “If showing mercy is weak, I guess I am. I simply don’t see the point of taking advantage of a female or blackmailing her to do my bidding. Although that seems to be your way and the way of this island—using our mates against us. Just like the island has done to our people for thousands of years. We fight to protect her; she uses our hearts and women to enslave us. But we have a choice to say no. There are other ways to protect the island and they don’t involve watching our women suffer.”
“We won’t get them back if we don’t do as she asks,” said one man in the crowd.
“You really think the island plans to give them back?” Roen’s voice filled the vacuous chamber while he pivoted, addressing the men. “By my calculations, there are over two thousand maids. Two thousand. Yet there are only two hundred of us, including some who’ve yet to find mates. So you do the math, gentlemen. How many will ever live to see the day when our women are set free? The answer is none. Because we end up dying in these archaic rituals only to be replaced by a new harvest of warriors. We fight. We love. And we die. But we are never allowed to l
ive. So make no mistake, we are the island’s slaves, and she has no plans to change that. But I do. So you may follow Shane as leader of the island and continue accepting these antiquated traditions meant to control us, or you can follow me—not as the island’s chosen leader, but as your leader.”
“The island will punish us,” screamed a random male voice.
Roen lifted his chin and moved his steady, confident gaze over the faces in the room. “She’s already punishing us, and if I do nothing about it, my sons will be next.” He pointed to Liv, who at this point was sure she’d stopped breathing. “And Liv, my mate—not my discarded claim—will face centuries of serving the island.”
The room filled with loud grumbles and voices.
“Don’t listen to him!” Shane yelled, his face a furious shade of red. “Our people are strong because of the island. And our ways keep her protected. The time of the Dorans is over. He’s weak. He’s afraid.”
No one seemed to give a crap about anything he said. They were too busy debating with each other over what Roen had proposed.
“You must decide now, men.” Roen’s deep, magnetic voice cut right through the noise. “It will not be an easy journey, but we will make it if we stick together.”
A small group of extremely rude-looking men, wearing red cloths, broke away from the crowd and faced Roen. “We will follow you. We are not afraid to face the island.”
Then it was like a domino effect. One by one, the rest of the men did the same. All except Shane and his gang of about ten.
“Roen, Roen, Roen…” they began chanting his name. The walls rumbled and the floors shook violently. At first, Liv thought their deep, loud voices caused it; however, she realized it was the island answering back.
She sounds really pissed.
When Liv opened her mouth to suggest the party move outside before the mountain came crashing down on their heads, Shane turned and grabbed her by the throat, slamming her backward into the ground. A horrible pain racked her body, and her vision blacked out for a moment.
“Liv!” Roen yelled out, and the room fell silent.
Shane snarled viciously, “There are no rules against killing a landlover for fun, so let’s see how brave he is without you.” Shane squeezed, and in that moment, Lyle smashed his fist into Shane’s face. He fell unconscious to the side.
Roen reached her, his eyes filled with panic. “Liv? Can you hear me?”
Liv couldn’t breathe let alone speak.
“Someone bring water!” Roen turned back to Liv. “Just relax, Liv. You’ll be okay.”
A man showed up with a glass bottle, and Roen quickly shoved it to Liv’s lips. She tried to swallow, but it wouldn’t go down.
“All you need is a few drops,” Roen said, “and you’ll be fine. Try to drink it.”
That wasn’t true. While the water did work on her, it didn’t have the same effect as it did on everyone else. She seemed to need a lot more to produce minor results. It was why they said Liv was “defective.”
The room began blinking out.
“Drink, Liv,” Roen commanded, “or I’ll throw you into that pool.”
What? No! Liv’s air returned to her, and she pushed Roen’s hand away. “I’m fine,” she whispered. “He just knocked the wind out of me.”
Roen smiled at her, brushing the hair back from her forehead. “Thank God. You scared the hell out of me.” He looked over his shoulder at Lyle. “Put Shane into a holding cell. Make sure his men join him.”
Lyle gave the nod, and the men from Shane’s little band of thugs were immediately seized and dragged off.
“What about the women?” Lyle said in Roen’s ear, loud enough for Liv to hear.
Roen shook his head. “Send them to their cabins. There will be no more claimings. Not today, not ever, if I can help it.”
Lyle nodded and started directing the men to take the “guests” away.
Liv smiled and looked up into Roen’s beaming green eyes. “You had a plan B.”
CHAPTER NINE
After telling his men he’d return shortly to discuss the next steps, Roen grabbed Liv to return her to the cottage. He insisted on carrying her, and she didn’t protest. After everything that had happened, there was no place better than Roen’s arms.
They moved along a dark path through the forest, and his touch literally made her feel like she might burst wide open with joy because they were together now and a light shined brightly at the end of the tunnel for them all.
“This was a bad idea,” he grumbled. The man’s body buzzed like a giant bumblebee—something that happened when these mermen became aroused. “I should’ve asked Lyle to take you.”
Liv snuggled her cheek against his bare, hot chest, feeling dopy. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, I know so.” He set her down. “Here’s your cottage. I’ll have Dana brought shortly.” The faint outdoor lights of the cottage caught Roen’s handsome face. Those plump, sinful lips, that masculine jawline covered in a short growth of whiskers, those fierce…angry eyes?
Of course he is. You were horrible to him.
“Roen,” she reached for his hand and gave it a soft squeeze, “I’m sorry about earlier. I’m sorry for lying to you.”
He stepped back a little, remaining silent for several long moments, his eyes fixed to the ground. Finally, he said, “You should’ve trusted me with the truth.”
Maybe, but… “I didn’t want Shane to hurt you or Dana. I did what I thought was right.”
“Lucky for me, you’re a terrible liar. Goodbye, Liv,” he said briskly and turned down the flagstone walkway away from the cottage.
“Roen, wait.” She ran after him and grabbed his arm. “Is that it? Just goodbye?”
“What else would it be? Welcome home? This island is not safe for you. It never was and it never will be. Especially now that the fight for control has begun, which is why I must go and see to it the island allows you all to leave.”
“You’re going to ask the island’s permission? Isn’t she going to be a little upset with you right now?” Roen had incited a rebellion against her.
“She may be upset, but letting the women leave is in her best interest since we’ve refused to claim them and there is a limit to how long humans can remain.”
“Why? What happens to us?”
“Not to you—to the island. This is a closed ecosystem. Your presence is disruptive, like a virus that weakens the body.”
Ah yes. The wonderfully informative pamphlet had mentioned that. “So we make her sick.” Liv wanted to laugh.
“Something like that.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“I’m sure she’s aware. Which is why she’ll want you all gone as quickly as possible. It’s for the greater good.”
Liv did not share Roen’s point of view. Because the island would do whatever the damned hell she pleased, when it damn well pleased her, despite the impact on the people. For Christ’s sake, look what the crazy bitch did to their women. Liv also didn’t believe for a moment that old Crazy Dirt would let Liv stroll out of there without Roen having to pay a price. Of course, Roen wouldn’t tell her that, because she wouldn’t approve.
Liv swatted a giant bug circling near her face. “What are you going to give up this time?”
“What do you mean?”
Couldn’t they go inside and talk? The bugs were out in droves tonight, though they stayed clear of Roen. Probably too afraid. “I know how this works. She’ll want something from you to let me go.”
“Allowing you to leave is in her best interest, too.”
Astonished, Liv tilted her head. “Wait. You just delivered a scalding reprimand because I lied to you about Shane. So why don’t you be a true leader and set the example—cut the crap and tell me why she’s going to let me paddle away for a second time when all of the other mates are used as leverage against their men.”
Roen ran both hands down his face.
“Roen, there is absolutely no
way for either of us to get through this if we don’t trust each other.”
“This,” he dropped his hands, “is the issue: You don’t trust me. You push back and you snarl and you think you know what’s best, when you are a landlover incapable of understanding this world or its true importance.”
Liv’s mouth fell wide open for several moments while she bit back her anger. “Okay. I’ve had about enough of the condescending mer-machismo, buddy. I may not be seven feet tall and have big fat bulging biceps, but I assure you my brain is as evolved as yours—if not more because I don’t have to share it with a big fat penis. So why don’t you go find yourself a pair of pants, put them on, and tell me why the island would ever let me walk out of here instead of dropping a tree on my head just to punish you?”
Roen kicked a little pebble with his bare foot off the pathway.
“You want me to cooperate and trust you?” she pushed. “This is the time, big man.”
Roen made a deep grumble. He knew she was right and it killed him. “Separating mates drives them mad. If you leave, it will only serve to weaken me—she gets her wish to watch me lose.”
Jason had mentioned that little part about going crazy. “I still don’t understand. The first time she let me go, it was a trade so you’d lead. Now she’ll want me to leave to hurt you?” she asked.
“Because the first time—” He stopped speaking.
“What?” she pushed.
Roen turned his head away. “A merman rarely gives his heart to anyone, even his mate. It’s what keeps us from becoming too vulnerable.”
“And?”
“And I promised I’d give mine to her.” He then looked into her eyes and despite the faint light, Liv saw a flicker of deep emotion. “I wasn’t able to do it.”
“Oh.” Liv could hardly breathe. Did that mean Roen’s heart was already taken? Because hers sure the hell was. “I’m guessing she wasn’t happy?”
“No. For her, it’s always about domination, winning and losing—the strong triumphing over the weak either mentally or physically. It’s like a religion to her.”
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