Making Waves (Mythological Lovers)

by Vivienne Savage

  If such was the case, our child would be twice blessed.

  “Now, what am I to do about your escapades with Hyrum and Lycus? Their place is here, protecting the herd. Not gallivanting about in the human world.”

  “I have a thought about that, father.”

  Adon arched a brow. We returned to our hippocampus shapes to achieve a measure of comfort we sometimes lacked as humans. “Speak,” he voiced in our natural communication.

  “Allow members of the guard to voluntarily join, Father. The days of old are long past. Let us be the ones to decide. Allow fathers to protect their foals and sacrifice if they choose. Don’t bar them.”

  “But the mares—”

  “Will understand. For once, I believe the humans have the right idea. Their men take pride in becoming warriors to defend their homes. There, it is an honor, not a position of shame to fear. They wish to protect their loved ones. Their people.”

  “Unbelievable.”

  “Their mares fight as well.”

  His eyes widened in disbelief. “Their women fight?”

  “Voluntarily. They eagerly commit to fight alongside males sworn to the service.”

  A rare, quiet chuckle came from the stallion who never smiled. “One change at a time, Dante. You know as well as I do that great change takes time to implement with our people. We are stubborn. Perhaps someday our mares will fight, but for now I will consider your other suggestion.”

  Yes. One change at a time. I nodded in an effort to control the tight feeling in my throat, emotion burning my eyes with an upsurging of joy. “Thank you, Father. Thank you. Now I have news to share with you.”

  “More news? You are full of words today. I suppose the fault, however, is mine. I have given you little chance to speak freely of your thoughts.”

  It was the closest to an apology I had ever received. “I hope these words will please you.”

  “Then share them.”

  “I came to tell you Alessa carries my child.”

  “I am to become a grandfather?”

  “You are.”

  Dad caught me off guard with the ferocity of his affection. My father hadn’t embraced me since the day Teo reunited us on the shore, always keeping me at arm’s length. In one hug, I knew he’d never stopped loving me, and while I could never understand the reason for his distance, I chose to forgive.

  Leaning against him, I rested my face on his golden neck. I exhaled a relieved sigh and closed my eyes, soaking in the warmth.

  ~Alessa~

  I stood alongside the water with my arms crossed against my chest, Dante’s trunks balled in one fist. “What took you so long?” I demanded when he returned. He answered by shaking water from his body, splattering me with errant drops.

  “No, no!” I cried with both of my hands out in front of me. His shorts were a poor shield from the water, and my open palms failed to ward off his attention. Dante bumped his muzzle against my chest and soaked my shirt.

  “You ass. I just got cleaned up for the staff party!”

  He shrank down to his human form. “Sorry... not sorry.”

  I resisted the urge to slap the cocky look off his face. “Anyway, are you going to come with me? Mom is getting a body massage and mineral soak at the spa.”

  The party was in full swing when we arrived. I brought my donation, a tray of stuffed crabs and my mother’s homemade tulumba. Each bite of gooey pastry tasted like deep-fried heaven and guaranteed they’d go quickly.

  “There you are!” Pam almost bowled me over with her enthusiastic hug. “This turned out great.”

  “Hey, where’s Julia? I have something to tell you both.”

  Once we located Julia, I delighted in sharing my pregnancy news with my two best friends. We squealed, hugged, hopped up and down, and then the gossip spread amongst our coworkers. A couple guys patted Dante on the shoulder in congratulations, but the reveal shocked no one.

  Dante and I had truly been the last to realize we were in love.

  “Okay, okay! I have gift cards!” I announced. “While all of you are terrific employees, Doctor Castlebury and I chose the most exceptional to award for your hard work and diligence.”

  I passed out fancy gift baskets, certificates to shops, and notified key employees of raises.

  “Hey Alessa, snap my photo with my certificate?” one of the men called over. “My kids’ll get a kick out of it if you can do it by the shark tank.”

  “Sure.”

  Crap, I forgot to swap memory cards, I noticed when I powered it on again and saw the depleted space. My camera had gone neglected since the swim with Dante’s herd mates.

  I shrugged it off and stepped onto the floor to take photos of mingling staff members. Castlebury arrived well into the luncheon. His khaki slacks and white button-up shirt was the most casual I’d seen the man who favored slacks and ties.

  Once photos of all the awardees and raffle winners filled my camera, I returned to my office and plugged into the desktop. Hundreds of digital images spread across the screen in thumbnail size until I enlarged the icons for a closer look.

  Smiling fondly, I swept through last year’s winter photographs of New York City with Daddy. I wished he was alive to meet Dante, but most of all, I regretted he wouldn’t be around to meet his grandchild.

  Switching folders, I pulled up the most recent pictures and selected a few that came out clear without goofy expressions or closed eyes. Another sporadic wave of nausea hit me after I chose the print option on the day’s photos. I abandoned the computer and hurried into the restroom.

  “Morning sickness?” someone asked.

  “You know it.” I washed my face with cold water. “Except, you know, at all hours and not just in the morning.”

  The older woman chuckled and patted my back in sympathy. She suggested I keep saltines in my purse, a tip I wisely filed away. I wasn’t about to turn away suggestions from those who had already been through pregnancy and childbirth.

  Returning to my office, I found Castlebury sitting behind my desk, clicking through my computer. I couldn’t see the screen, but panic immediately clawed at my heart.

  “Can I help you, Doctor?”

  “Ah, Alessa, there you are. Julia told me you’d taken photos prior to my arrival.”

  “I’m printing them out now but had to make a bathroom run.”

  “Yes, I heard congratulations are in order.”

  “Um, thanks. Look, not to be rude or anything, but I have personal photos on there, if you don’t mind. I can send you everything from the party tomorrow,” I offered.

  “My apologies.” Castlebury wore a contrite expression, but his eyes seemed too bright. The man never, ever apologized for anything. He hopped up from my chair and strode from the office without a backward glance.

  I hurried around my desk and plopped down, searching my screen for any sign of what he’d been looking at. The printer continued chugging photographs out on the expensive glossy paper and the only picture folder open was the party. I breathed a sigh of relief then noticed a minimized tab.

  Why is my email open? I wondered. When I bent over the computer, I saw a tiny ‘email sent’ notification in the corner. I hadn’t sent an email.

  I investigated the sent folder and found a recent letter to V.Castlebury. My blood ran cold, chilling my entire body from head to toe. I downloaded the attachments in the email and opened them, revealing five precious photos of Dante’s herd mates and my underwater exploration.

  “No, no, no,” I pleaded.

  I rushed out onto the employee floor to search for Castlebury, but he was nowhere to be found. He’d made his discovery and hightailed it to parts unknown.

  Because of me, another human had been made aware of the hippocampi.

  ***

  Telling Dante about my failure was the hardest and it cast a dismal shadow over an otherwise cheerful event. I’d let him and his herd down, endangering the very people who would one day protect my daughter.

  Da
nte decided to keep the news from his father, fearing it would strike a critical blow to their newly rekindled relationship. Instead, seeking advice, we found Teo that same evening and told him.

  “Bah,” Teo said. He offered me a mug of tea. “You worry over nothing.”

  “He has photos of them, Teo. Real photos of five hippocampi. What if they’re what he’s been out there looking for all this time on his exploration dives?”

  “Are you not jumping to conclusions, Alessa? You worry over nothing but a few insignificant photographs.”

  “You know as well as I do that he’s always rambling about some sea monster he met in his youth. What if this is it and he’s been looking for proof all this time?”

  Teo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It would explain why a doctor of his background would come to this resort. He could work anywhere in the world.”

  “See!”

  The dragon chuckled. “Relax, Alessa. I promise to you that within the next two weeks, all shall be fine.”

  As Thursday and Friday crawled by, my fear worsened and I dreaded the outcome. Dante didn’t blame me, but I had difficulty sleeping at night and feared any day, I’d turn on the television to a news report announcing the scientific discovery of a new species. I glued myself to my computer during the days, keeping an eye on marine biology outlets, online journals, and even Facebook groups like I Fucking Love Science.

  No one reported it.

  My mate urged me to focus on our wedding instead, so my mother dragged me out to the mainland to purchase the perfect dress. She chalked my nervous behavior up to the pregnancy and impending matrimony.

  Saturday morning dawned bright and beautiful without a single cloud in the sky to threaten our beachside wedding ceremony. It was small and intimate, with only a handful of close friends, my mother, Dante’s grandfather, and Teo’s family. Next to the discovery of my pregnancy, it quickly became the happiest day of my life. I stood beside the man I loved, hand-in-hand with him while wearing a cream sundress in lieu of white. The shell and pearl necklace he’d made for me graced my neck, a breathtaking replacement for a traditional wedding ring. The smile never faded from Dante’s lips, and at the end, our first married kiss tasted as sweet as the day he first took me in his arms at the cabana.

  Following the ceremony, I spied a single equine shape amidst the waves. The sun glinted against unmistakable golden hair, and from Dante’s description of his father I knew it had to be him. I whispered in my new husband’s ear and together, we stole a glance at the distant hippocampus.

  I’d never forgive myself if Castlebury used my photographs to harm them.

  I wouldn’t lose this creature’s trust. I couldn’t.

  ***

  “I thought humans had specific traditions to follow after a marriage.” Dante’s warm breath played over my ear as he teased me.

  “You mean like the wedding night and honeymoon?”

  “That, and...” He scooped me up in his arms outside the door to the suite. “Teo told me it’s customary to carry the bride inside.

  With his hands occupied, I swiped the keycard and pushed the door opened. Vases full of creamy white, pink, and yellow plumeria lined the entry hall and red rose petals scattered across the floor. The floral trail led to a table sprinkled with more petals laid out around a silver tray covered in strawberries and chocolate truffles. A matching ice bucket held a bottle of sparkling cider.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whispered. I’d have to thank Teo and Marcy for the gift.

  “Not as beautiful as you.”

  We shared a lingering kiss, the sort we couldn’t have with our friends and family watching. Our wedding kiss had been short, but sweet.

  “I’m going to go freshen up,” I said after we came up for air. His kiss alone had dampened my panties and left my head buzzing.

  “As you like. I will open the bottle.”

  I giggled as he set me down, picturing a geyser of bubbly cider all over him and the room. “Do you know how?”

  Dante rolled his eyes. “I received a little instruction before tonight. Give me some credit.”

  Teo, I guessed. I owe him a thank you card and... what the hell do you gift a dragon? “I’ll be out in a few, okay?”

  I left Dante behind to marvel over the extravagant suite and room service menu. When Teo told me our gift included a two night stay, I filled our luggage bag with a world of possibilities. I’d even brought the vibrator I’d shyly hidden from him at home, tucked in the bottom of my panty drawer.

  About a week ago when I first mentioned our wedding plans to Pam and Julia over the phone, they’d surprised me by adding to my lingerie wardrobe. According to them, there wasn’t enough time to throw together an official bachelorette party, and Dante was hot enough to make any stripper appear inferior.

  I glanced at my choices, biting my bottom lip as I tried to decide which I liked best for this night. On one hand, I had pristine white silk, virginal and sheer. On the other, I had a sexy one-piece number woven from black lace. The crotchless ensemble had made me blush when Julia suggested it. It reminded me of Dante, the perfect reason to select midnight fabric over the traditional shade of purity.

  After donning the skimpy negligee, I checked out my reflection in the mirror. From the front, it appeared to cover as much as a bathing suit, but a thong exposed both of my cheeks in back.

  I hope he’s into lingerie. This thing isn’t remotely comfortable.

  I tossed the matching black robe onto my body and belted it before emerging.

  Dante awaited me when I stepped through the door, sprawled across our honeymoon bed without a stitch of clothing. As usual, he took my breath away, but I couldn’t tell if he’d stripped to get comfortable or in expectation of our night together. Both ideas made me giggle. One look allowed me to determine it was the latter.

  “What?”

  “Well, aren’t you ready.”

  His tall cock stood at attention, the perfect invitation for me to climb astride him. I resisted and approached him with my sexiest, most-seductive walk. I stopped at the bedside and held my pose. My husband rippled with muscle from his broad shoulders to his taut abs, a sight so perfect my core ached in anticipation.

  “Gonna unwrap me?”

  My new husband didn’t need a second proposition. Crawling across the sheets, he reached out with one hand and tugged my belt loose, parting the lacy fabric. With a single nudge, the robe slid back from my shoulders and fell to the floor, exposing the form-fitting lace stretched over my body. Dante sucked in his breath, his cock twitched, and I beamed with satisfaction.

  “How do you like it?”

  “The wrapper or the gift? You could have worn a piece of tin foil and I’d be excited.”

  “You haven’t seen the best feature.” I joined him on the bed, on my knees with my legs apart, then placed his hand between my thighs.

  “Humans make the most amazing things,” he said, marveling over my crotchless ensemble. His fingers dipped into my wet slit and two penetrated my depths. I rocked my hips to his rhythm, inviting him to plunge deeper and faster.

  I cupped both hands to Dante’s cheeks and kissed him without restraint, releasing the raw passion pent up during our wedding.

  “Lay back,” I whispered against his lips. “I have a special treat for you.”

  He obeyed without question, always eager to please me in some way.

  Taking his long dick in both hands, I stroked him to a state of iron tumescence. When he was groaning for more, I shifted my body around until I knelt over him. With my knees framing his head, I straddled Dante’s face and leaned forward to claim his cock. My tongue teased over the sensitive head, swirling over a drop of salty precum.

  “Alessa,” Dante moaned. His hands slid up, grasping my bared ass cheeks, then back down my thighs again.

  I bobbed my head to a feverish rhythm, faltering only when his fingers played across my slit. My new husband remained at my mercy, writhing on pricey hotel sheets.
<
br />   I craved too many things at once, and had too many fantasies to fulfill in one night.

  Now or never, I thought, before I thrust forward and engulfed his entire cock. Dante jerked and swore, caught completely by surprise. I loved it and the power I held over him. I savored every second of having him beneath my spell.

  I didn’t stop until my nose pressed snugly against his balls. He trembled and quivered beneath me, his tight muscles pulled to maximum tension.

  His slick fingers left my tight channel, replaced by the heat of his mouth and the playful plunge of his tongue. We took turns driving one another mad. One moment, his tongue would slide down my slick folds, claiming me with harsh strokes, and then I’d take him into my mouth again until his dick glided to full penetration. We both shuddered, pushed to our limits.

  Dante stiffened beneath me. His hips bucked and he orgasmed on my backstroke, releasing into my mouth. The salty-sweet rush pooled over my tongue as I reduced him to guttural groans and unintelligible syllables.

  At the end, he slumped his head to the pillow and gave a content sigh. I still trembled with my own need, sliding my mouth off of his dick with a wet pop.

  “You’re so good at that,” Dante muttered from between my legs. I kissed his softening cock and stroked his balls.

  “I’ve been wanting to try that for a while, actually.”

  A single roll of his body swapped our positions.

  “I need to feel you inside me, and I need it now,” I groaned out.

  “And I want to taste you,” he growled before tracing my wet divide with his tongue. Just as I’d held him at my mercy, Dante had me at his; I became his willing victim, writhing and arching on the bed. My hips rose and I grinded against his mouth, out of control with lust. He licked everywhere but the tiny pearl that would free me from my feverish discomfort, neglecting it.

  “Dante? I can’t... I need... please!”

  His lips sealed around my clit, he sucked, and I melted. My core clenched with need, desperately wet and needing to be penetrated by more than his tongue. I whined softly as he swiped it from side to side.