by C. W. Gray
Chapter 11
Ben hugged Dover to him the entire way home. “Never again. You can never go swimming alone again.”
Dover kissed his chin. “I wasn’t expecting that. Did you see all those sharks?”
“I almost pissed myself when I jumped in,” Ben said, shuddering. He had recognized the Great Whites, Tigers, and Hammerheads, but there had been more than he could count.
“That was stupid,” Eloise said, wincing. “You just had a knife, Ben.”
“You’re a beaver,” Ben said, glaring at his friend. “You shouldn’t have been jumping in the ocean either.”
Eloise gave him an innocent look and steered the boat. “I was just following Otis.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Hester said. “It went well, and I’m glad you got to meet the northern prince.”
“What have you seen, Hester?” Dover leaned toward her, but his hands stayed bunched in Ben’s shirt.
“I’ve seen many things, but also a lot of nothing,” Hester said, sighing. “Foretelling a person’s future isn’t easy, you know. Most of the time I’m guessing based on bits and pieces I’ve seen. You and Ben just need to keep doing what you’re doing. You two have an important role in preserving the Silver Isles.”
“That isn’t very helpful,” Dover said, wrinkling his nose. “Should I call Kai and Kit?”
“I’m not a magic eight-ball, Dover,” Hester said, frowning. “Do what you think is right.”
“I think you should,” Ben said, sighing. “Prince Tack intended to kidnap you, Dover. What if someone else shows up? I want to protect you, but I’m just one person.”
“It’s not safe for them to be swimming up and down the coast,” Dover said, shuddering. “Those sharks were huge. Kai can handle himself, but Kit isn’t allowed around sharp objects.”
Ben arched a brow. “Why?”
Dover grinned. “He’s a bit clumsy. After he accidently cut the tip of Lord Gianni’s tail off, Father and Mother forbade him from training with the guards, like Kai.”
Eloise laughed. “Please tell me Lord Gianni deserved it. Please.”
Dover made a face. “He so deserved it. A lot of the lords in Father’s court deserve it.”
Ben buried his face in Dover’s hair and ignored them as they talked about Dover’s two brothers. Apparently, Kai and Kit were the only siblings Dover had a relationship with.
Ben knew changes were coming. If Prince Tack hadn’t felt sorry for Dover, he would have taken him and killed everyone else. There hadn’t been anything Ben could do. He didn’t like feeling helpless. He had to bring Dover back to the Silver Isles.
When they reached the marina, Ben handed Dover his cell phone. “Call your brothers. Give them our address.”
Dover bit his lip. “I won’t leave you, Ben. You promised I could stay with you forever.”
Ben cupped his face and gave him a gentle kiss. “You can stay with me forever, Dover, but we’ll be living in safety in the Silver Isles.”
“What?” Eloise leaned over Dover’s shoulder and glared at Ben. “You’re leaving me?”
“Dover can’t be kidnapped in the Silver Isles,” Ben said. “There are guards and other merfolk all over the place. I can’t lose him, Eloise.”
She scowled. “Yeah. I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it. I about had a heart attack when you told me he was a prince.”
Hester smiled, eyes dancing. “Better make that call, Dover.”
“If they’re swimming, he won’t be able to answer right away.” Dover groaned, then dialed a number and held the phone to his ear. After a few seconds, he left a message. “Hey, Kai. This is Dover. Prince Tack said you and Kit were looking for me. I’ll text you our address.”
Dover hung up and buried his face against Ben’s chest. “Promise you won’t leave me, Ben. No matter how annoying my family gets.”
Ben kissed the top of his head. “I promise.”
Eloise bounced on the balls of her feet. “I’ll stay with you two. If the fuckers try to take him, Ben, I’ll maul them.”
“Death by beaver,” Hester said, chuckling. “What a way to go. Eloise, take Dover to the car. Ben and I will unload.”
Ben quickly packed up the cooler and snacks. Once Dover and Eloise were far enough away, he turned to Hester. “What’s going on?”
She watched him for a moment, eyes dark and serious. “Since the beginning of history, humans have feared the other species. Shifters, merfolk, witches, vampires, elves, and all the other species have skills that humans don’t have.”
“Is this supposed to make me feel better?” Ben asked, irritated. “I know humans are the weakest species. I fought beside shifters and vampires in the marines. I know I’m at a disadvantage here.”
“You have something that no other being in this world has,” Hester said.
“What’s that?” Ben asked. He knew he was a good shot and excellent at hand to hand, but he sure as shit couldn’t breathe under water.
“You have Dover’s love,” Hester said. “You have his loyalty and his adoration.”
Ben’s laugh was rough even to his own ears. “How does that protect him?”
Hester’s smile was full of something Ben didn’t recognize. He would almost call it awe. “It will protect more than just him. Trust in yourself, Ben. I can’t see all the future holds, but I know that you are perfectly capable of being exactly what Dover needs.”
Ben groaned. “Hedge witches suck ass.”
“Only when we’re asked nicely,” Hester laughed. “Get the bags and move it, handsome.”
Late that night, Ben and Dover sat around a small fire on the beach in front of his house. Eloise had called in reinforcements, so half the restaurant staff had arrived an hour ago.
Stewart leaned back in his chair, a bat lying across his lap. Ryan was shifted and circled Ben and Dover with Otis, growling at every little crack of the fire. Ryan’s sister, Alicia, and her mate Dahlia had left their newborn at home. They sat with several others from the local wolf shifter pack.
“You have a lot of friends,” Dover whispered, leaning his head on Ben’s shoulder. Ben was happy to have his mate in his lap. It made it easier to hold him.
“I didn’t realize.” Ben met Hester’s gaze across the fire. “I should have.”
“Are you sure you want to leave here, Ben? We can find a way to stay.”
Ben stroked Dover’s bare back. “I like it here, Dover, but you’re my home. As long as I’m with you, it doesn’t matter where we are.”
“Ben,” Dover said, eyes wide. “I love you.”
“Sweet,” Eloise said, kneeling beside them. “Enough with the mush. What’s our game plan here? We have wolves, humans, and me, the greatest beaver in all the land. Do you think there will be a fight?”
“Not with my brothers,” Dover said, laughing. “They’re good people. I promise.”
“What the fuck is that?” one of the wolves asked, standing up and instantly shifting.
A large saltwater crocodile walked from the waves, the fire glinting off his eyes and a slender figure at his side.
Dover sat up, his expression morphing from worry to pure joy. “That’s Romeu and Nami!”
He jumped from Ben and started running. The mermaid squealed and ran for him too.
Ben stood, eyes were on the crocodile. It was huge and those teeth were sharp. Ryan growled and came to stand at his side. Otis growled from Ben’s other side and Ryan paused to glare at the dog.
“Ryan, behave. You both are fierce, protective good boys,” Ben said, fighting a smile.
Dover and Nami had reached each other and were hugging and bouncing around.
The crocodile ignored them and headed for the fire. It was at least twenty-five feet long, tail to snout. As one, Ben’s friends stood up and glared at the crocodile. Shifted wolves started circling the beast. Stewart stood on his chair and waved his bat.
“Romeu, be nice,” Dover called over his shoulder.
“Jo
jo,” Eloise called out, scrambling to keep ahold of the puppy. Jojo hit the ground running, tongue hanging out and tail wagging. She dodged wolves and grabbing hands and ran straight for the crocodile.
“Jojo, no,” Ben called out, scrambling to intercept her. He didn’t reach her in time.
The crocodile froze when the puppy hopped around him and started licking his snout. Any lingering fear Ben held disappeared when the crocodile dropped to the ground and let the puppy crawl onto his back.
“Fuck.” Ben noted Hester’s grin and cleared his throat, approaching the shifter at a more sedate pace. “So… Romeu is it? This is Jojo – your new puppy.”
The crocodile shifted and seconds later a naked man stood in its place, holding Jojo in his arms. “Seriously?” He lifted the puppy up and laughed when Jojo licked his face. “Who’s a good girl? You are, yes you are. My wife is going to kill me.”
“Ben,” Dover called out, dragging his friend behind him. “Nami, this is my Ben. Isn’t he beautiful?”
The small woman had a pointed chin and short dark hair framing her heart-shaped face. Her long-sleeved swim shirt had a large cat-mermaid on it, and she had a waterproof pack strapped to her back.
The woman’s dark eyes looked him up and down. “He’s alright, I guess.”
“Nami,” Dover said, gasping. “Look at his shoulders and his perfect face. Do you even see his eyes? What about his lips?” He leaned up and kissed Ben. “I love his lips.”
Nami wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, no thanks.”
Eloise sauntered over. “Hey there, lovely. How do you feel about a wet, hot beaver?”
Nami smirked. “Depends how she tastes.”
“Ew, ew, ew,” Dover said, burying his face against Ben’s chest. “It’s not funny when I can visualize her puns. Where’s the bleach? I need to clean my brain.”
Hester cackled. “You’ll have to get used to it.”
Ben tilted his head and eyed Eloise. His friend was flushed and trembly, her eyes full of hope. He knew exactly what she was feeling. She’s found her mate.
“Dover?” The voice came from the waves. Two men waded from the water. They wore slick, long-sleeved swim shirts and sarongs.
“The brunette is Kai and the redhead is Kit,” Dover whispered to Ben. “No matter what, remember I love you.”
Ben ignored the approaching men and kissed Dover, savoring his taste and the feel of his mate pressed against his body.
“Who the hell are you?” The brunette asked, practically vibrating with anger. Kai was large, with broad shoulders and a blunt, square jaw.
Dover hummed, looking a little dazed. “Kai, this is my mate, Ben.”
The redhead covered his mouth and squealed in glee before he started bouncing. Kit wasn’t at all what Ben had expected. The redhead was plump, with a round face covered with freckles.
“You found your mate? Is that why you were so mopey before you left? You were hearing the mating call.” Kit pulled his brother into his arms and hugged him. “I’m so happy for you. Now you won’t be all alone in your cottage and you’ll smile all the time.”
Eloise snorted. “He doesn’t smile when Ben makes him clean up all the sand he brings in from the beach.”
Nami gasped dramatically and placed her hand on Dover’s forehead. “You cleaned something? Are you sick, your highness?”
Ben choked off his laugh and tried to look innocent when Dover glared at him.
“You’re mated?” Kai looked conflicted. “I don’t know if I should hug you or swear. This complicates things, Dover.”
“Prince Kai,” Alicia said, coming to stand beside Ben. “Come sit by the fire and explain how much trouble our Ben is in. He’s a good man and Dover loves him very much.”
Kai gave a half-hearted smile. “You’re the alpha of all these wolves?”
Alicia nodded. “I’m Alpha Alicia.”
Kai bowed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I apologize for my rudeness.”
Alicia grinned. “Not a problem. You’re worried about your brother.”
Ben kept a firm hold on Dover as they moved to the fire. His omega gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand. “Romeu is a nice guy, so Jojo will have a good home.”
Ben watched the crocodile shifter wrap a towel around his waist while keeping a hold on the wiggling puppy. He grunted. “Sure.”
Kai sat down and eyed Ben and Dover. “Father doesn’t know you’re missing. Kit went to visit you two days after you left but couldn’t find you. He got me and we searched everywhere. Nami and Shauna wouldn’t tell us anything except that you were safe.”
“We told Talia and she said to give you some time,” Kit said. “Once your month was up, we thought Father would discover you were gone, but Eugenia got engaged to Lord Eades’ son, so everyone got distracted.”
Nami winced. “By then, we didn’t know where you were. George wouldn’t tell us a thing. He said you found your mate and we should leave you alone.”
Kai scowled. “He’s an annoying beaver.”
“I love George,” Dover said, leaning against Ben. “He’s the best beaver ever. Except for Eloise because she gave me Velma.”
Kit pursed his lips. “Velma?”
“My Vespa.” Dover preened. “It has a sidecar. I’ll give you a ride tomorrow.”
Kit bounced in his seat. “That sounds fun.”
“Anyway,” Kai said, giving his brothers a hard look. “Talia sent us to find you. We knew you headed to the United States, so Nami and your friend Romeu took the north and Kit and I took the south. None of the merfolk we came across knew where you were.”
Dover shrugged. “I haven’t seen any merfolk until today. Prince Tack showed up at a shipwreck I was looking through.”
Kai growled and jumped to his feet. “Did the fucker hurt you? I’ll tear the filthy scavenger to pieces.”
Kit’s eyes were wide. “I hear he has a pet shark and feeds it any merfolk that annoy him.”
Eloise laughed. “I attacked him and all he did was glare. He’s good people.”
Dover smiled. “He and his people were very nice. He was actually the one that told me to call you.”
“Prince Tack was nice?” Kit asked in disbelief. “Seriously?”
“He must want something,” Kai said, scowling. “The Coalswells are nothing but trouble.”
Hester snorted. “Look a little closer to home for enemies, tiger prince.”
“What do you see?” Ben asked, eying his friend.
“King Ren’s court is full of vipers,” Hester said. “Soon enough there will be a clash between the young and the old.”
“The curse,” Dover whispered, swallowing.
“What curse?” Alicia leaned forward, eyes concerned.
“Oh, my god,” Dahlia said, covering her mouth. “Do you mean the Sea Witch’s curse is real? My mother used to tell me the story when I was a little girl.”
They all turned to Hester, and the woman shrugged. “Ask the princes. They should be more familiar with it than I am.”
Chapter 12
Dover buried his face against Ben’s neck and breathed deeply. His mate’s smell always soothed him. The Sea Witch’s curse had always seemed half fairy tale, half historical event to him. Now it was too real. He shuddered and Ben’s arms tightened around him.
Chubber ran across the sand and climbed into his lap, rubbing his head against Dover’s chin. Dover hugged him and leaned back.
Kai cleared his throat. Six generations ago, the three kingdoms of The Silver Isles were completely at peace.”
“The three kingdoms,” Stewart said, confused. “I thought it was just The Northern Silver Isles and the Southern Silver Isles.”
“That’s all you can see now,” Kit said, shrugging. “Back then, there was also The Kingdom of the Deep. It was a large city above a deep trench that split the Northern and Southern kingdoms.”
“The Northern and Southern kingdoms were led by kings and the Kingdom of the Deep was led by the
Sea Witch,” Dover said, breathing in Ben’s scent again. “The Northern Silver Isles kept mostly to itself, but the people of The Deep and The Southern Silver Isles mixed together through matings and friendship. In fact, the Southern king was the Sea Witch’s brother.”
“The Sea Witch,” Alicia whispered. “They sound ominous.”
“She was just a woman,” Hester said sadly. “All witches are told the story of the most powerful witch in the world and the two men that broke her.”
“She held all the power of the oceans,” Kit said quietly. “She could use it to destroy a kingdom in an instance.”
“She could also heal the waters around her from all pollution and corruption,” Hester said firmly. “Her primary duty, however, was protection.”
Dover frowned. He had never heard that before. What would the Sea Witch protect? Each of the kingdoms protected themselves.
“Like I said,” Kai said, “The three kingdoms lived in peace until the two kings made a very foolish pact. They wanted the rich and beautiful Kingdom of the Deep.”
“You said the Southern king was her brother,” Alicia said, eyes watering. Ryan went to her side and she wrapped her arms around him. “Family is everything.”
Kit plopped against Dover and Ben, hugging them both. “Family is everything.”
Dover’s lip trembled and he hugged his brother. It had hurt to think that his family hadn’t noticed he was gone. He should have had more faith in Kit and Kai.
“The two kings made a plan to overthrow her,” Kai continued. “The Southern king was her trusted family and was welcome in her kingdom at any time. The Northern king was welcomed for an entirely different reason.”
“He was her fated mate,” Dover said, voice breaking. “I could never imagine betraying Ben. I don’t understand what the man was thinking.”
“He was a greedy, son of a bitch,” Hester said, snarling. “He used the mating call to beguile her. He seduced her, then betrayed her.”
“The two kings isolated the Sea Witch from her guards,” Kai said, swallowing. “Then, together, they murdered her.”