He hated showing any signs of weaknesses. He had grown up with overprotective parents and older brothers. He cherished his independence. However, he didn’t mind Jefferson doing the same to him. He felt safe and warm in his mate’s embrace. After a few moments, Jefferson scrunched up his face and jerked his magic back tightly around himself.
“Nothing.”
“It’s weird, right?”
Jefferson shrugged. “Maybe we’re both still high on adrenaline as a result of our recent mating.”
Baltic didn’t quite agree, but he had no other explanation. He took one final glance around the area before turning back toward Jefferson.
“Let us go home.”
Jefferson beamed at him. “I like the sound of that.”
“What?”
“Home.”
Baltic blushed in embarrassment. “We’re mated, so home is wherever you are. Even if you lived on top of a mountain of garbage, I’d consider it as my home, too.”
Jefferson chortled and shook his head. “You won’t ever have to worry about living in a place like that.”
“Glad to hear that.”
The two of them drove away and managed to reach home in less than twenty minutes. Since it was almost lunch time, Baltic wanted to prepare a home-cooked meal for his new mate, but that was the moment he discovered how much adjustment he needed to make. He was used to sharing a house with his brothers, but all three of them were only five feet six inches in height. Meanwhile, Jefferson was eleven inches taller than him. He glared at the top shelf in the kitchen when he was trying to get some plates from within. Jefferson snickered at his current predicament, but he didn’t think it was hilarious at all. He narrowed his eyes at Jefferson, who took pity on him and grabbed the plates for him.
“Sorry, sweetheart. It’s quite funny.”
“Ha! I don’t think so. Not everyone can be a giant like you.”
“You could have used your magic.”
He threw his mate an unimpressed gaze. “I have water and healing magic at my disposal. The healing magic will be useless while the water magic will leave the plates all wet.”
Jefferson wrapped both arms around his chest before responding. “Fine. I’ll buy a small ladder for you.”
“You’ll have to. Otherwise, I won’t be able to reach all of the top shelves in this house.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll do that tomorrow.”
“Good idea, minion. Now, get out of the kitchen. I’ll prepare some lunch for us.”
Jefferson gave him a mock salute before heading toward the living room. He opened the refrigerator and gasped. There were plenty of meats in it, but there were no vegetables at all. Judging by the amount of meat inside, he had a strong feeling that Jefferson was more of a carnivore. As supernatural beings, they couldn’t catch any diseases, especially of the kinds that affected the ordinary humans, but Baltic had lived in the mortal realm long enough to pick up on some of their eating habits. It seemed he would have to take over shopping for groceries for the two of them. After scouring through the fridge and pantry, he succeeded in finding ample ingredients to prepare spaghetti with minced meat and barbecue sauce.
Lunch was a quiet affair for the most part. They would chat with each other once in a while, but they were also content to let the silence linger between them. Once the meal was over, Jefferson offered to wash the dishes. Baltic agreed before making his way to the backyard. He didn’t get to check out the garden the last time he visited. He might not be an expert when it came to gardening, but he loved the plants and herbs. It also reminded him of Caspian’s garden. He missed his brothers, but he was mated now. He would have to adapt himself to his new home with his mate. He was so absorbed in the beauty of his surrounding that he realized too late that the sweet, familiar, and comforting smell he had been breathing in was causing him to feel faint and dizzy. The last thing he remembered was Jefferson frantically calling out his name a couple of times along with his mate’s concerned expression. Then, he was lost to the darkness.
Chapter 11
Jefferson heaved out a huge sigh of relief when Baltic stirred a little on the bed. He got off his chair in a hurry and rushed toward his mate. He had almost gone insane with worry over the last two hours. It might have been longer than that. He couldn’t be certain. It had been a while since he last checked the time.
“Balt, sweetheart, wake up. Come on. I’m right here. Open your eyes.”
Baltic groaned as he blinked his eyes a few times. “What…what happened?”
“Never mind that for the moment. We can discuss it later. Are you okay?”
“I…I think so. Your magic protected me earlier. I could feel your tattoo on my chest burning up right before I fainted.”
Jefferson ran his palm through Baltic’s hair. “Someone sneaked into our house. I have no idea how he or she did it. My magical ward is powerful enough to stop even Gav or Ed from entering. I really can’t think of many supernatural beings with enough power to shatter the shield around our house. This is truly unprecedented.”
“The ward is down?” Baltic rasped out, obviously astonished and horrified.
Jefferson shook his head. “That’s the crazy part. The ward I put up is still intact. I can’t understand how the intruder managed to slip through the ward without triggering it.”
“Then, how did—”
“Beats me. What can you remember from what occurred earlier?”
“I…” Baltic trailed off while attempting to sit up on the bed. Jefferson assisted his mate before occupying the spot next to Baltic. “There was this scent. It…it smelled like you.”
“What?”
Jefferson was startled upon hearing Baltic’s words, so he lifted his right armpit to sniff at it. Baltic chortled in amusement. “I wasn’t implying anything like that. I was talking about your magical signature. The scent was familiar, though. It was as if you were right next to me in the garden earlier. Also, now that I think about it, I could detect your magic a few moments before I lost my consciousness.”
Jefferson was even more astounded after that. “Wait. Were you implying that I used my magic to cause you to black out?”
“I…” Baltic appeared to hesitate for a few seconds before nodding. “Yeah.”
Jefferson was devastated. “Sweetheart, I’ll never do something like that. An elf’s mate is precious. I will treasure you above everything else, including my magic. Nothing matters more to me now than you do.”
Jefferson observed as Baltic placed one palm on his thigh before leaning sideways to rest on his shoulder. “I know that. I trust you. I was only informing you of the fact that it was your magical signature all around me. That’s the reason why I let my guard down earlier in the garden. I think…I think there’s a possibility of someone trying to duplicate your magical signature somehow.”
Jefferson was astonished, but he wasn’t sure how that was possible. “One of the surefire ways to achieve that will be to steal my magic directly from me. It won’t be an easy feat, though, considering how sensitive I am to my magic. As an elf, my magic is as integral to my very being as my soul. If someone had wanted to steal even a tiny bit of it, I would be aware of the tugging sensation on my magic before he or she could even pull it off.”
“Well…”
Jefferson took one look at Baltic’s face and noticed his mate deep in thought. “What is it, sweetheart?”
“I’m your mate. I have your tattoo. Isn’t the tattoo on my chest considered as a chunk of your magic in the similar way my pearl, which is buried deep inside your being, is a portion of my magic?”
Jefferson stiffened in shock. “You’re right. Whoever the thief is, he or she could have pinched a little bit of the magic from the tattoo on your chest. If the thief has my magical signature, he or she can easily enter our house since the ward will only permit either you or me to get in and out at will.”
“He.”
“What?”
Baltic rolled his eyes. “I ha
ve a strong feeling it’s that damn sorcerer. I think he pilfered the magic from the tattoo on my chest outside the house I used to share with my brothers. I must have felt him in the vicinity earlier, but he was able to somehow cloak himself from detection.”
Jefferson nodded. “I’m inclined to agree with your deduction. We need to come up with a plan to deal with that sorcerer. I have a strong feeling he will be back.”
“So do I. Not to worry, though. I know what we can do.”
“All right. Care to clue me in?”
Baltic smirked and beckoned Jefferson to lean in closer with a crook of his index finger. Jefferson’s eyes widened as Baltic whispered the strategy into his ear. After a while, Baltic backed off before snickering at him with a smug expression.
“What do you think?”
Jefferson squirmed in discomfort because there was something arousing about Baltic’s plan. “Holy shit. After we get that son of a bitch, I want you to ride my dick and make me come over and over again until I beg you for mercy.”
Baltic chuckled. “That can be arranged.”
Jefferson groaned at the images that popped inside his mind. “Fuck. I can’t wait. When should we start?”
“Tonight.”
Jefferson noticed the eagerness on Baltic’s face. Suddenly, he felt a surge of pity for the sorcerer or whoever dared to cross his mate. However, he was also very turned on at the thought of his mate being all pissed off. He was sure that a furious Baltic would make the sex between them that much hotter. He actually couldn’t wait to have rough, brutal sex with his mate. It was official now. He must have a very weird taste in sex.
* * * *
Just because Baltic was no longer a siren, it didn’t mean he had lost all memories of the time when he was one. He also hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be cruel and insane with the overwhelming desire to want to kill someone. Anyone. Now that his merman magic was intact within him, he was aware that he wouldn’t be able to murder people at random. After all, merpeople was one of the purest creatures in the world. Hence, he would only unleash the full extent of his magic when he had to protect himself or the people he loved. At the moment, he wished he could be less squeamish about ridding the world of the power-hungry and insane sorcerer laughing maniacally at him. The two of them were standing in the garden. He knew for certain the sorcerer must have Jefferson’s magical signature on him to be able to enter and exit the warded property at will. He had to remain calm if he was going to successfully carry out his plan.
“Hello again, my dear siren.”
Baltic pretended to be bored and yawned out loud while checking on his fingernails. “Can we get this show on the road already? The sun has set more than an hour ago. I have people to squash under my boots and a limited amount of time to do it in.”
The sorcerer sneered at him. “Fascinating. There’s little to zero information about water creatures. I’m going to capture you and study everything about you. If you prefer, I can also be your lover. I’ll be a much better option than that stupid, overgrown elf over there by the tree. I’m smart and resourceful. He doesn’t even realize my intention of attacking all those supernatural beings isn’t because I want to kill them all. My purpose is to collect their magical signatures so I can blend in with them all. My fellow sorcerers used to laugh at me. They claimed my magic was useless, telling me I would be nothing more than a researcher. After all, what good is a sorcerer whose only magic is to absorb magical signatures from supernatural beings? I’m going to show them that I’m so much more powerful than them.”
Baltic gritted his teeth at the insult being directed at his mate, but he schooled his feature to be indifferent. He was also irritated at the sorcerer’s trip down memory lane, which he had zero interest in. Moreover, he would never allow anyone else other than Jefferson to touch him in a sexual manner. Most importantly, he had to free Jefferson from the invisible barrier that imprisoned his mate around one of the trees in the garden. Judging by the power of the barrier, the damn sorcerer must have used the magic stolen from an ancient and powerful supernatural being. He had no idea who it was from, but it didn’t matter. He had to annihilate the sorcerer as soon as possible.
“Blah. Blah. Blah. Listen to me, whatever your name is. I—”
“My name is Olius.”
“Fine, Olius. I love being a free siren. Get that sick, disgusting thought of ever having me in your laboratory or on your bed out of your mind. It will never happen. You can kiss my ass.”
“Yet you’re willing to spread your legs for that elf,” Olius retorted with an obvious look of disgust. “It doesn’t matter, though. He must have rubbed himself like an animal in heat all over you, leaving traces of his magic on you in the process. Thanks for that, by the way. Otherwise, I won’t be able to obtain his magical signature.”
Baltic was taken aback when Olius abruptly released dark magic into the air. The stench of the magic was so overwhelming, it made him feel dizzy and nauseous. In addition, it attempted to seep into his pores. He was thankful when Jefferson’s magic flared up from around the tattoo on his chest and repelled the sorcerer’s magic in a matter of seconds. However, the dark magic kept trying to penetrate into his defence. The slimy sensation of the sorcerer’s magic caused him to shudder in disgust. He had to retaliate before the sorcerer’s magic succeeded in assaulting him.
He narrowed his eyes at Olius before pointing at the soil underneath the sorcerer. “Lesson number one for you. Never piss off a water creature.”
Having said that, he called upon his water magic. Water burst out from deep within the soil, surrounding Olius all the way to the neck before the liquid turned into ice. Almost instantaneously, Baltic could feel Olius’s magic receding away. Olius was obviously astounded, but Baltic also noted the aroused expression on the sorcerer’s expression. That made him want to puke.
“Amazing.”
Baltic snorted. “Here’s another lesson for you, you filthy piece of shit. Jefferson is my mate. His love released me from the siren magic that has been holding me captive for a hundred years. A siren is actually the transformation of a heartbroken merperson.”
Olius appeared rather bewildered now. “But…but merpeople are supposed to be kind and pure. That’s what I read about merpeople in some of the research papers. You aren’t supposed to kill me.”
Baltic stepped closer to the sorcerer. “Want to bet on that? Did you read the part about a furious merperson whose mate is threatened and attacked?”
He watched in amusement as Olius became more frightened by the second. “No. Please. I promise. I won’t disturb you or your mate again.”
He ignored Olius and the sorcerer’s plea for mercy. He could feel his merman magic singing to him as he stared into Olius’s eyes.
“Oh, there’s another lesson for you. Some merpeople have extra magic aside from their water magic. In my case, it’s natural healing magic, but that can actually go two ways. I’m going to heat up your blood until it boils. I hope you enjoy your organs burning from within. Goodbye.”
The sorcerer screamed. Baltic didn’t care. He didn’t even feel any sympathy. No one attempted to harm his mate and get away with it. He waited until the sorcerer’s body had liquefied and mixed in with melted ice water to form a puddle of water on the ground before heading toward a gaping Jefferson. Olius’s death automatically canceled the magic the sorcerer had employed when he was alive. Thus, Jefferson was now freed from the barrier that imprisoned him.
“Hot damn, sweetheart. Your plan didn’t go exactly the way you wanted it to. You were supposed to pretend to still be a siren, and then we were going to deal with Olius together. Regardless, you were awesome. Will it make you mad if I tell you how hard my cock is right now just from watching the way you handle that sorcerer?”
Baltic chortled in amusement. “I won’t be angry as long as I get to have a taste of your dick.”
Baltic laughed when Jefferson quickly dragged him into the house all the way into their bedroo
m. Once they were inside, they stripped off their clothes and got onto the bed. He was aware Jefferson was desperate to fuck him, but he was determined to stretch the session out a little longer. He grabbed both of Jefferson’s wrists and pinned them onto the bed before climbing on top of the elf’s body and straddling the man’s waist.
Jefferson whined at him. “Sweetheart, please.”
He shook his head. “Keep your hands there. I want to enjoy myself a little longer.”
Jefferson gulped and nodded. “Okay. Anything you want.”
Baltic smirked before pressing their lips together. He allowed their kiss to last for a while before pulling away. He grinned at Jefferson for a second or two. Then, he moved on to his mate’s right ear, tickling it with his tongue. He was satisfied when he noticed that Jefferson’s hands were still on the bed above his mate’s head. He raised his head and beamed at Jefferson.
“Good boy.”
Jefferson bobbed his head up and down eagerly. “Yes. Of course. Please, sweetheart. My dick hurts. I need to come so badly.”
Baltic shook his head. “Not until I get to taste more of you.”
Jefferson groaned, but the elf didn’t utter a single word of protest after that. Baltic scooted down lower, lapping at Jefferson’s neck for a while and flicking his tongue on the elf’s nipples one after the other. Then, he dove into one of Jefferson’s armpits before lapping and nipping at it. Jefferson bucked up and moaned.
“Fuck. That feels so good, sweetheart. Don’t…don’t stop.”
Baltic didn’t respond. Instead, he moved on to the other side and stayed there for a while. Once he was ready, he shifted lower, dragging his tongue down Jefferson’s body and tasting the elf’s skin. He loved Jefferson’s firm body and those abdominal muscles crunching up and down every few seconds as the elf struggled to stay still on the bed. He glanced up at Jefferson, making sure to have full eye contact with the elf before wrapping his lips around the head of the man’s dick. He took the entire cockhead in his mouth and used his tongue to tease and lick at the leaking slit. He could taste the salty precum, inflaming his desire even further. Jefferson’s whimpering only served to turn him on even more.
The Tattoo of the Elf [The Triplet Mermen Trilogy] Page 11