by Jana Leigh
“So you have golf carts?” she asked and stepped out onto the sandy ground. It was solid, as if it was packed down from so many people walking on it, but it was still sand. She laughed and then twirled around.
“Yep, we each have one, and they have worked on them. We can get over fifty mph with them. We didn’t need a car, we only have to go a few miles, and if we need to expand our city—we can. That is the cool thing,” Xander said and they got into the little cart.
“So let’s get the tour over with,” Des said and they showed her the buildings and then showed her exactly where the new mates’ house was—already almost done. There were thirty men working on it and they waved at him and grinned when they saw Alex. She loved the style of homes they all built, they were ‘A’ framed and beautiful.
All of the men had been introduced to her and the others, a few at a time until they met them all. Of course, it was going to take longer to remember them. She laughed when she saw the small flower box in the front of the house. As she looked around, she noticed all of the log homes had flower boxes, though none of them were planted.
“What is the deal with the flower boxes?” Alex asked and pointed.
“That is our females’ tradition, when we are fully mated, the female mate would plant her favorite flower, and every year after on their mating day they would plant a new one. It was a sign of respect in our culture, and part of our mating. We have a lot of traditions,” Des said and they continued.
Winding around the town to where Casius's house stood and she smiled. Gabby would love it, as Sam would like the one next to it that was Cash and Rosul's home. They went through a gate and up a hill, she gasped when she saw the huge house before her.
“This is the King’s home,” Xander said quietly.
“But I thought you lived in the main building complex?” Alex said and looked around in awe. It was gorgeous; the light colored log home was a three level ‘A’ frame and the entire front held windows that looked over the city. She could see two wings coming off each side.
“We have never lived in the house, it is meant for the King and his consorts. In our culture, huge balls were planned for every occasion and in our culture, we like to celebrate. The Queen is the cornerstone of our culture; she handles all of the issues with the families. We never thought we would have a female mate, and didn’t want the house unless we had one. However, the men built it because it is part of our culture, a symbol if you will. Now that we do have a mate, we will begin making plans for furniture to be moved and the place made ready for us,” Xander said and Alex turned to look at him curiously.
“When are we supposed to move in and begin all of this stuff?” Alex asked with her hands suddenly on her hips, she refused to be told what to do. That was one thing they were going to talk about, Alex was an independent woman who would not stand for being told what to do. She was strong, and would be a good mate, but she would not be a slave. What the hell? She actually thought about mating. She knew that she was going to be lost when they settled all of this stuff. What then?
“Let’s get moving, we can talk about this later,” Des said smoothly and led her back to the cart.
She finally noticed a small picnic basket and blanket on the back of the cart. Wow, Des had been busy while she was in the shower.
They drove in silence as they rounded the backside of the King’s home and descended toward the water, she could see the small lake from the top of the hill and kept her eyes on it. Hmmm, it was right behind the King’s house. She bet they had a great view. The wall that was a barrier between them and the ocean lay before them, she wanted to laugh because of how nervous she was.
Just the thought of these walls cracking was nerve-racking if she thought about it too much. How would she survive if somehow it failed, she was a human, with Meridian blood, sure, but still all things pointed to her being adaptive to the surface, she had lived there for her whole life.
When they pulled to a stop, Alex sat awestruck at the site, the lake was larger than she thought, and the men had actually decorated around it with what looked like water-based plants.
“How are they alive?” she asked with wonder, the beautiful plants grew small flowers that looked like water lilies.
“They are from our home planet. Some of the men figured out a way to make them grow. There is water feeding them from the lake, the only place these will grow is right here by the water’s edge.” Xander explained. One of them was in charge of packing and replicating plants and animals from their planet. They were waiting to show Alex their version of a dog, there were only two so far, but they were a male and female and soon they would be in breeding season. They all had a good laugh about the plants until one of their men was able to make them grow.
“This is amazing,” Alex said and still sat there, the lake went right to the edge of the barrier that separated them, she could see it ripple as fish swam pass, and she gasped. “What if they hit the wall?”
“They bounce off, no big deal, the only time one of the fish are killed, is if they somehow swim through our underground cave and hit the doorway, nothing can pass through there without being of Meridian blood,” Xander said. “We have been down here for three hundred years. I really don’t think the walls are a problem.”
Alex tapped down the anxiety that was flowing through her. Damn it, she needed to get a grip. Stepping from the cart, she looked around and took in the view, on one side was the backside of the King’s home up above them on a hill, which stretched from one edge of the wall to the other. They were basically alone; no one would be able to see them unless they wandered over the hill. She looked back and stared wondrously at the light that shown out to the ocean to allow them to see the fish, some of them were huge. She had no clue there were that many fish down this low. From all they learned, most fish didn’t come down here because of the cold water. She turned to ask the question.
“They are attracted to the heat from our source, the water outside of the city is about the same temperature as it would be toward the surface, our source is powerful, but ends before anyone would find the temperature change,” Des said.
Together they took the blanket out and spread it right at the water’s edge. She smiled when they helped her sit down and then unpacked food and wine. Wow, this was the first she had seen of alcohol.
The men laughed at the expression on Alex’s face. “Why do you look so surprised, we told you we had everything down here. Hell, if we wanted we could open a store with the surplus we have, we just don’t have anyone to run it,” Xander said.
They chatted about simple things while they ate, like, how they watched the change of the humans over the years. She found it so interesting, especially to learn one of the Warriors had written everything down for them since they came. They had their own version of history books. One that would make the humans shocked if they learned what the Meridians actually shared—it was amazing.
“So let’s get down to it.” Xander said when they were finished, “You have questions and we have answers, so fire.”
Alex laughed at the way he said it, waving his hand at her as if he was prepared for whatever she threw at him. Fine, she would ask a hard one first. “Do I have to drink your blood when we mate?”
Xander paused with his mouth open, a surprised look on his face like that of a fish as he opened and closed his mouth.
“Wow that is unexpected, and a little disturbing.” Des frowned.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Xander bellowed.
“Hey, I read books, shifter books, my favorite is the werewolf ones, they bite their mates so they can bond!” Alex yelled back and the men looked shocked.
“What books are these?” Xander growled.
“Well, you know, like romance,” Alex said under her breath, this was her one secret passion, reading her smut books when she was traveling was awesome, at least she got some real romance somewhere.
“Romance? Okay, well you will have to share some of those
with us,” Des said as Xander sputtered about not needing those anymore.
“To answer your question, no, we do not have to exchange blood. When we bond and claim you, our exchange of fluids begins the bond, and then we mutter the traditional words of our home planet,” Des said and laughed when Xander kept muttering about blood.
“What are the words?” Alex asked.
Des sat back, looked at Xander, and waited, “With my heart, my body, and my soul, I share my power, my life, and my love.”
“That is beautiful. So the mating entails?” Alex said, feeling more comfortable.
“We both make love to you and then we bond, the power will begin, then the stronger our bond will be, some people don’t feel it until they speak the words, while others feel it when their skin touches. It is different for everyone, although I am pretty sure that our bond will be strong. I have already felt it, the stronger the bond, the happier the couple, and the longer life together,” Xander said.
“That is so amazing, but no ceremony?” Alex said.
“No, we have a party afterward, always thrown by the Queen, which will be you,” Des teased.
Alex sat in silence and looked at the men. She had felt the pull grow stronger and stronger over the last few days. She had also talked with her friends about her feelings. She loved them, she didn’t know how it could happen so fast, or affect her so much, but she did. It was nothing like she had ever felt before; Alex was not ready to tell them that though.
“We know that this is all a lot to take in. Living underwater with us, although we do go up to the surface sometimes, we can’t right now, because we have to wait and see what the threat is, but soon we can go. Xander and I have talked, we would not like it, but we would let you go if that is truly what you wanted. We have lived all these years without our female mate. And we will not force you to mate with us if that is what you choose,” Des said smoothly.
Alex looked at them wondering for the first time if they actually wanted her to mate with them, maybe like everyone else in her life they didn’t really want her, or felt like she was an obligation or something. Shit, she was not going to stand for that, they fucking handed her the world and then dared to snatch it back. Fuck them, she was not going to go down that path.
“Let’s see how you transform,” Alex said shortly, ending the conversation.
Xander shook his head and stood, “Come on then if you want to see us. You have to come out into the water with us.”
Alex frowned and nodded, she knew that and had worn her only pretty bra and panties, the rest of the time Alex and her friends wore men’s boxers and used ace bandages to hold themselves for support. One of the most important things they had to do was get her things. She was not wearing boxers for the rest of her life.
Stripping her clothes, she followed. Alex was a little self-conscious but over the last few weeks, being in the buff half the time with only a hospital gown to wear that flashed everyone her ass, this was nothing. Although the shiver of awareness from being so close to them when they stripped their clothes was enough to drive her nuts.
Shit, they were magnificent, their muscles were taunt, and bulging all in the right spots, when they began to take their pants off her breath came in short pants and she watched their gorgeous firm asses appear, she wanted to beg them to turn around. However, she didn’t need to, they turned and smiled, standing proudly before her, and holy shit, they had a reason to be proud. They were hung like fucking horses. Damn, the fairy cock mother’s wand tapped them when they were born, she giggled to herself.
“Ready, sweetheart?” Xander said and stepped into the water a little, Alex nodded and followed, loving the warm water in the lake, and she was surprised thinking it would be cold. She felt a weird tingling and wondered if they added something to the water for them.
The men walked ahead of her until they were waist deep and turned to her. “So we can hold off the shift when we enter the water, but we feel the pull. It is like a lightning bolt goes up our legs. Then we feel the webbing begin and our legs being to mold together into our tail,” Xander said, then stepped backward, held up his arms, and closed his eyes. Alex felt the shimmer of the lake as the power flowed through him and she was drawn to them. Almost as if in a trance, she walked forward.
Des was watching her grinning, he knew that her Meridian blood would be calling, and he stepped backward and allowed the change to flow through him. He saw Xander’s tail flip in the water and grinned, soon they were swimming together in a circle waiting to show Alex their shifter half. Then they heard her cry, it was frightening and the Warrior blood grew, their woman was in trouble.
“Holy crap,” Des muttered when he broke the water surface, Alex was lying on her side in the shallow end of the lake, her legs had sprouted into a tail, just like theirs with the same golden color, and red fin tips, and she was screaming.
Xander pushed up and shifted back quickly, he moved swiftly with Des right behind him to where their mate was laying and crying.
“What the hell is going on?” Alex cried at both of them.
“I have no idea, we are going to have to talk to Sage, let’s get you back,” Xander said worriedly then Alex held up her hand, and moved her tail a little.
“Do you see this, I have a tail? Oh my god, I have a tail!” Alex laughed.
Both of the men frowned, first she was screaming, then crying, now laughing, they were never going to get used to the female mind.
“Honey, we are going to have to help you shift back so we can get you to the doc,” Des said and Alex shook her head.
“Please, can’t we just see what happens. We can deal with all of this later, this is freaking amazing,” Alex laughed and flipped her tail. “It is like I am complete all of the sudden.”
Xander looked hesitant but then nodded, “A short time.”
Together the men carried her into the deeper part of the lake and helped her figure out how to swim, once she went underwater once, she grew the gills on the side of her neck, which caused her to freak out again. However, soon she was swimming freely and laughing, the men shook their heads at her exclamations of happiness.
Finally the men shifted back, and they were swimming together. Xander did not think he could have felt such a sense of peace more than right that minute with his mates in the water beside him. Des must have felt the same way because Des rubbed up against him and Xander smiled and kissed him quickly. Alex stunned them by swimming around them teasingly.
Alex made it less than five feet before a hard grip latched on to her wrist. Xander tried to drag her back to the surface, but Alex rolled and twirled, snapping free of his hold and escaping the second hand that came to capture her.
For the next ten minutes, they warred silently as she tried to make it to the edge and they successfully kept her locked in the pond. Xander and Des didn’t make any bones about how much they enjoyed playing with her, egging her on with all sorts of taunts every time she popped up for air.
They could have ended the game whenever they wanted, but instead, they used it to take every advantage to put their hands all over her body. Alex would never have given them the satisfaction of admitting it, but she enjoyed playing with them. It kindled some magical warmth that filled her with a strange cheeriness.
She could have giggled, but Alex wanted to look sultry—not like a schoolgirl. Worse, she could have moaned under the sizzling nervousness that sparkled through her, leaving a wicked trail of anticipation in its path. As the moments ticked by, the men became even more aggressive. But she surprised them all as became more daring, swimming between them with her tail rubbing against them. She could feel the natural movement between them, each coming to terms with their mating.
Their touches roughened and their fingers lingered over her body, making Alex’s breaths start to catch in little gasps as anticipation started to wind through her. She hesitated, trying to be caught and not working so hard to get to the edge, wishing they’d take things a little more seriously
. They were teasing her, and it was driving her crazy.
Latching on to her waist, Xander dragged her to the shallow end. Letting the change come over them, she felt the tingle and then Alex gasped as her legs began to split. Amazing. Then Des shot straight up, his fingers releasing Alex’s body but not her hand as he pulled her up with him. The world whirled around her in a chaotic swirl of water and men. For a moment, she found herself trapped between two large bodies and was thankful for the support since she was unsteady on her feet.
Alex smiled and laughed freely as she felt them tug and pull her until they were right where they began, on the large blanket that they ate on. She must have been too caught up in the change to notice that someone had cleared the blanket for them.
“Sorry, baby.” Xander trailed a finger down her stomach and she sucked in a breath. “I think I may have rushed things a little, but damn your tail is a sight to be seen, I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you when changed, you are like our own little mermaid.”