by Kelex
His skin gray.
But it was the smile filled with malice that rendered Oz all the sicker. It was as if dead-Brandt remembered the hatred he’d had after their mother’s death.
And this version of his brother would see her avenged.
Another flash of lightning hit—and Brandt was no longer there. Oz frowned, wondering if it had been a figment of his imagination or a nightmare come to life. There was no time to ponder long—he rushed to the next dead monster and fought with everything he had.
As the rains swept over the deck, Oz heard Llyr’s voice ringing out.
“I found it!”
Oz searched over his shoulder and saw Llyr behind him.
“I found it!” he gripped the pendant in one hand.
“Go back inside!” Oz roared.
“I have to help stop them!”
Before Oz could prevent it, Llyr raced down the few stairs to the main deck. He sprinted toward one of the creatures—and it miraculously backed away from him. They all did, creeping closer to the railing, before sliding down the sides of the ship and back into the water.
Yet they didn’t go far. They bobbed in the water metres from the ship. Oz could see their heads illuminated by the lightning. Rain drenched him and the men as they stared out, viewing the surrounding enemy.
Wondering how long they’d remain at bay.
“If you’re able bodied, start checking the men next to you,” Oz called out before turning to Mr. Tyler. “I need a count of the dead and injured—as well as if there’s any damage to the ship.” He cast a look toward Dagr, who stood protectively at Llyr’s side. “Have someone keep watch on those creatures.”
“Aye, sir.”
He, Dagr, and Llyr all jumped in to assist the wounded. They sent those who could walk into the galley and carried those with more dangerous wounds. A few of the dead were placed in the center of the deck. By the end of their tally—they’d lost four seamen, had a half dozen gravely wounded, and at least twice as many with less severe injuries.
Through it all, Llyr was there to offer his assistance—and that didn’t escape Oz’s notice. Their merman helped stitch cuts, clean wounds, and create splints, never complaining once. When they’d worked on the last of the injured and were assured that Mr. Tyler had enough help to keep watch over the grimmer cases, Oz closed the gap between him and his lovers. “We have much to discuss. Should we retire to my stateroom?”
Dagr nodded. They led Llyr to Oz’s cabin. Dagr closed the doors behind him—seemingly stunned and rocked by what he’d seen. They’d spent a good hour or more tending to the injured, without anyone asking one question about the dead they’d just battled. It had been as if everyone was scared to speak it aloud.
Before Oz could ask a single question, Llyr rambled out, “I’m so sorry for this.”
“How was this your fault?” Oz asked.
“I lost the pendant!” he paused a moment before adding, “Had I not run away, they would never have been chasing me in the first place. They wouldn’t have harmed your crew. This is all my fault.”
Oz sauntered closer to Llyr and took his hands. “You can’t think that way. It’s not your fault.”
“Sounds like vaguely familiar advice,” Dagr mumbled under his breath.
“Please,” Oz whispered to Dagr.
“What can you tell us of these monsters of yours?” Dagr asked Llyr, shifting his attention.
“Not much. All I know is what I’ve already told you. They were once human. They died on the ocean waters. My father has dominion over those who die in our realm… and he can summon them to do anything he wishes.”
“You had a name for them, did you not?” Oz asked.
“The Draugar,” Llyr whispered, shivering. “A vast army… I have no idea how many there are. I’d wager that was but a small piece. Each of the sea kings control those who die within their realm.” He shook his head before lifting his stare. “I’m so sorry I’ve put you and your men in danger.”
“You did not do this,” Oz murmured. “If anyone, it was your father who did.”
“Why would your father send creatures such as these after his own son? Is he an evil man?” Dagr asked.
Llyr frowned. “Evil? I don’t think that I’d call him that. Cold? Indifferent? Absolutely. I’ve been practically imprisoned in the castle since I was born.”
“Castle?” Oz asked, a brow rising.
Llyr’s widened and his gaze drifted away. He didn’t speak for a long moment. “I’m a prince. Of Aegeaus. My father is the king.”
“A prince,” Dagr whispered, eyeing Oz with a raised brow.
“I’m being forced to marry Prince Alphonse of Atlantia—to end decades-long strife between our two realms. How that will help, I don’t know. All I do know is I don’t wish to be a pawn in their plans. Nor do I wish to marry a boy I do not love.”
“A boy?” Dagr asked.
“He’s nine,” Llyr said. “Which only makes things worse. He’s a terrible child, and I doubt he’ll be a much better adult. When the troth was announced a few days ago—I panicked.”
“A troth? As in a marriage contract?” Dagr asked.
“Yes,” Llyr answered. “You have the same here?”
“We call it something similar—a betrothal,” Dagr answered. “A contract before the wedding occurs.”
“Yes… they’re quite the same.”
“Can they sign the troth in your absence?” Oz asked.
“By law, I must be present and verbally accept the troth before the kingdom. I ran away the night it was supposed to take place. While the whole city was inside the castle walls awaiting a celebration, I snuck through the caverns underneath and rushed to the Enchantress. She gifted me with legs and this pendant in exchange for the bag of coins I’d been saving.” His hand lifted up, reaching for it as if he checked the necklace was still in place.
“Why’s your father so keen on marrying you to a child?” Dagr asked.
“There’s been a rift between our nations for as long as I can remember. Me marrying Alphonse is supposed to repair relations, from what I was told.” Llyr sighed. “I recognize that I should do my duty and marry for the good of my people—but—this boy? It’s not right. I feel trapped. I was given no voice. No choice.” His face fell. “I’ve spent my life a prisoner and have no desire to now be held captive in a loveless marriage. I panicked and I ran.” He glanced at them both. “And then I found you both—and I experienced a bond that I’ve never felt before. With anyone—not that I’ve all that much experience with lovers. Yet… I sensed I could trust you—that you’d protect me.” He shook his head. “I’m the one you needed protection from. I brought you into the middle of a fight that wasn’t yours.”
“Your father has no right to put those kinds of demands on you…
“Pot meet kettle,” Dagr said under his breath.
Oz ignored Dagr’s little dig. “Then to send these creatures after you… to hunt you like prey?” Oz paused. “It’s not right. And it’s not your fault.”
“Unless there’s anything you’re not telling us?” Dagr asked.
Llyr frowned. “I simply wished to escape a terrible situation.” He paused. “Though, it is illegal for me to reveal myself to humans. So, there’s that…”
“Not an offense worthy of the kind of attack we suffered, in my opinion,” Dagr stated. He sauntered closer and eyed the pendant. “How did you know this would push them back?”
“I didn’t,” Llyr said. “But I had to try something. There were too many of them—and there was no way your men could fight them off.”
Dagr lifted his stare to capture Llyr’s. “This thing must be quite powerful to do what it did.”
“I think it’s doing more than keeping the Draugar at bay.”
“Why’s that?” Oz asked.
Llyr faced him. “When it was off… that’s when my heat grew stronger. It’s apparently been holding it back… hiding the truth from me.”
“What tru
th is that?” Oz asked.
Llyr lifted his stare, eyes wide. His mouth opened, but closed before anything came out. “That—That I was in heat. It was hiding that from me.”
Oz tensed, sensing Llyr was withholding something. It was the first time since meeting Llyr that he’d sensed it, though.
Llyr continued. “I sensed something simmering under the surface. You both said you’ve experienced an odd attraction. Perhaps you were reacting to my latent heat.”
“But no one else seems to be reacting,” Oz stated. “Why is that?”
Llyr shrugged. “I’ve been nearer to you both for the last few days. Proximity perhaps?”
“Possibly,” Oz replied, but that didn’t seem right. Yes, they’d been closer in some regard, but the ship was filled with men. None of them had shown any sort of attraction to Llyr.
Llyr squeezed the pendant tighter. “The need slammed into me tonight… I had to have you both. I wanted you both so desperately.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “I’ve never felt something so intense.”
Nor had Oz. He had been out of control of himself. He’d enjoyed the wild abandon. It was like being drunk, yet sober—all at the same time. He’d had no choice in the matter—he’d simply acted on impulse.
Innate need.
And it had been wonderful.
“How often do omega mermen go into heat?” Dagr asked.
Llyr focused his attention on Dagr. “So now you believe I’m a merman?”
Oz snickered. “Seeing is believing, hmm, Dag?”
Dagr seemed guilty. He should. He’d put up such a fight. “If the monsters are real… How can I say it’s all a delusion now? Unless we’re all suffering the same hallucinations.”
“I somehow doubt that,” Oz murmured, his mind going to Brandt. Had Dagr seen his brother in the melee?
“I know that was no hallucination, no matter how much I wish it had been. Those things were as terrible as you’d claimed they were.” Dagr turned to face Llyr. “I’m sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Llyr took Dagr’s hand in his. He pressed it against his chest. “Had I been in your place, I would’ve likely been equally disbelieving. There’s nothing to forgive.”
“I haven’t been very sympathetic,” Dagr whispered. “I pushed you away… because I struggled to reconcile the attraction I felt for you with the possibility you were mad. You have every right to hate me.”
Oz appreciated how hard Dagr’s admission and apology was to give. Dagr sometimes struggled to admit when he was. The fact he did so openly and with humility was a good sign. It showed how much Llyr had impacted him.
Llyr brought Dagr’s hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss on the palm. “I don’t hate you. I couldn’t.” He smiled. “But you can make it up to me.”
“Anything,” Dagr whispered, desperate to assuage his guilt.
“We can stop wasting time,” Llyr replied with a soft smile. He cast a glance toward Oz, who nodded slightly, returning Llyr’s grin. When he faced Dagr, there was heat growing in his eyes. He doubted Dagr could ignore that desire—no more than he could.
“I only have a few more days above the surface,” Llyr said. “And you both only have a few before you arrive home. I realize you have a ship to run… and wounded men to check on. But in the hours in between, let’s make the most of them, hmm? I want to be in your arms as much as I can until I have to depart.”
“What of the Draugar?” Oz asked.
Llyr clasped the pendant. “I sense this will hold them at bay. As long as it resides around my neck.”
Dagr took his hand from Llyr’s grip and cupped their merman’s cheek. “What of this heat of yours? Do you have any needs of us that we need to know about?”
Llyr grasped the pendant again. He shook his head. “The witch said this masked my omeganess—maybe it’s continuing to conceal it. Back on, I sense it, but not as strongly. Truly, I think I’ve always sensed it—that bond went hand in hand with this need. Now it’s more powerful than before the pendant was lost.”
“You can’t put the cork back in the bottle,” Dagr said.
Llyr blushed, and Oz fought to withhold the groan rising up his throat.
Dagr took a step closer to Llyr. “That’s not a bad thing.”
“It’s not?” Llyr asked, cocking a brow.
“I wasn’t myself,” Dagr whispered hoarsely. “I lost control. Your need—it was such a visceral thing. So thick, and heady.” He leaned in to press his lips against Llyr’s. “I was drunk with pleasure. The craving was like none I’ve ever experienced.” Dagr turned to gaze at Oz, who sat back and watched the pair of them together.
“Did you feel the same?” Dagr asked him.
“I did,” Oz murmured, hunger gnawing at his belly. “And I would love to feel more.”
“The only way we could have full, unbridled lust, I would have to take this off,” Llyr answered. “And as much as I yearn to have you like that again—it’s impossible.”
“No, no… we can’t,” Dagr parroted.
Llyr whispered. “But we can enjoy one another just the same.”
“Of course.” Oz took a small bow. “Your Highness.”
Llyr chuckled. “Please no. I much prefer being a no one.”
“You’ll never be a no one,” Oz whispered before pressing a kiss to Llyr’s shoulder. “You’re one of a kind.”
Oz’s kiss warmed him—but he frowned when the captain spun and walked away from him. His gaze flickered to Dagr’s. The commander scrutinized him. Desire seemed to make the flecks of gold in Dagr’s brown eyes brighter, but maybe it was simply the illumination coming off the lanterns. The light shimmered on the wooden walls of the cabin, the fire seeming to almost dance.
As if it were alive.
A fire burned within him, too, growing with each passing moment. They stoked the embers with their caresses and their own heated desire. Both men were only in their trousers—it had been the sole piece of clothing they’d drawn on before the fight. He took advantage of his good fortune. Llyr closely observed their muscular torsos. Dagr’s bronze chest was deeply muscled and dusted with dark, curling hairs that traveled down past the waist of his pants. Oz’s was paler—yet darker than Llyr’s—with fewer wisps of hair. A few dusted over his pecs, but did not travel down. His fingers itched to traced over the lines of muscle and sinew, learning every inch of them.
And then he’d remove their pants and learn more about the thick shafts he’d already had driving inside him. The more he imagined what would come next, the hotter he got. He stood there, his body quickening with his meandering thoughts.
Oz poured wine into three small cups, his broad back to Llyr. Then the captain strolled closer, carrying all three. He offered one to Llyr with a grin.
“I believe I offered you a nightcap. It’s the least I can do,” Oz murmured with a wink.
“I’d dare guess it’s nearly daylight,” Llyr said as he reached for one of the cups.
Oz chuckled lowly, the seductive sound sending need spiraling through Llyr. With the cup remaining in his clutches, Oz elevated it above his head and offered a salute. “To new friends.”
Llyr smiled and hefted his cup, parroting the sentiment once he heard Dagr repeat it. He brought the rim to his lips and took a sip—before sputtering it out and coughing as a strong, bitter flavor burned his throat.
Oz rubbed his back. “Are you alright?”
“What… is that?” Llyr asked once he finally caught his breath.
“Whiskey,” Oz murmured. He frowned slightly and lifted his chin. “You’ve never had ale nor whiskey?”
“I assumed this was wine,” Llyr replied, heat filling his face. He’d heard of whiskey, but had never been allowed to sample it. “My father says hard spirits are dangerous. Humans too easily succumb to them.” Wine was what most imbibed in his kingdom—though Llyr had heard tales of secret establishments that catered to those who liked hard drink. He eyed the cup, fearful of taking another draught.
&n
bsp; “Sip it,” Dagr whispered. The sound of the man’s voice was as warm as the whiskey still heating his throat. Dagr nodded to the glass, urging Llyr to try again. He took a small sip, showing how it was to be done.
His stare was dragged to Dagr’s lips. They were the fullest lips he’d ever seen. Llyr licked his own as he watched Dagr do the same, lapping up a drop of whiskey that had drippled over the swell. Instinct urged him to lean forward and kiss the flavor from the human’s lips—but he hesitated. He feared taking liberties he wasn’t afforded.
Earlier, the sex had been instinct—prodded on by his heat. Both men had claimed to be bound by Llyr’s need. Had that been the only reason Dagr had touched him?
Llyr eyed Dagr. No. I can see the need in his eyes. He hungers me.
Still he hesitated, fearful. He didn’t want to be fearful with either of them. He wished to know he could reach out and touch… and taste… all he aspired.
Unsure what to do, he looked down at the cup clenched in his trembling hand. He attempted a sip. The second time, he had a better idea of what was to come. The taste was at first sharp, but there was a pleasant warmth as it spread over his tongue and down his throat. That warmth pooled in his belly and added to the growing need building within.
“Better,” Llyr murmured. “Thank you.”
Dagr bowed his head slightly, offering a wisp of a smile. When he lifted his stare, there was no doubt he hungered. Llyr held Dagr’s dark gaze… which caused him to squirm inside.
Oz moved a bit closer, stealing his attention again. The handsome captain smiled provocatively, the warmth in his eyes shining with a mixture of good humor and obvious desire. “You seem nervous,” Oz whispered as he lifted his hands to Llyr’s shoulders. “You said you wished to be with us, did you not?”
“I do,” Llyr said a little more quickly than he’d intended. Heat flooded his face. “Last time… it was instinct. It was… easier… in some ways.” He trembled under Oz’s hands. “Now the anticipation is killing me.”