The tense wrinkles ease from his forehead, replaced with crinkling crow’s-feet as his beard curves with a smile. “I’ll do anything you want, but fair warning: I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”
Pushing against the air with my wings, I descend on the dock before facing him again. “That didn’t stop you last time.”
A beautiful blush tints his cheeks, clashing with his beard in the best way. “You naughty woman! You’ve been looking for a way to strip me down since the dark moon, haven’t you? Saw something you like?” He gives me his back, glancing over his shoulder. “Was my ass, right? You could bounce a quarter off the thing. At least, I think you can. I’ve never been able to get the angle right.”
I press my knuckles against my lips but can’t help the snorts that escape out the slits of my nose.
Mahon’s hazel eyes twinkle with humor as he tugs off his shirt. My breath speeds as his hands drop to his waist, and a second later, I find out the bear goes commando.
Good to know.
Feeling playful myself, I stick my fingers in my mouth and let out a perfectly executed wolf whistle. Or bear whistle, in this case. And despite his bawdy humor, I swear the blush spreads to that coin-ricocheting butt of his.
Mahon gives a loud whoop as he cannonballs into the water. The ground is so steep here that I have no concerns about him hitting the bottom. Just a few feet from shore, the depth dropsto double digits. When his ginger head breaches the surface, Mahon executes a perfect mermaid hair flip, immediately ruined by his mouth.
“Damn The Cold One! How’s it so chilly here? I’ve got an icicle where my dick used to be.” Mahon treads water expertly as he complains.
“It’s the waterfall. That’s pure mountain water. And don’t go around, insulting the gods, or else you will lose your parts. And I happen to want them to stay exactly where they are.” As I scold the blasphemous bear, I settle myself on the edge of the dock, slipping my bare feet into the water, loving how clear everything is in my cove.
The shifter guffaws, and then proving he was just grumbling for grumble’s sake, he paddles to the mouth of the falls, where the clean water spills through a V created by two boulders.
“There’s fish here!”
His delight has me smiling, and I get the sense the more time I spend with Mahon, the more beauty I’ll see in the world. The man seems to find joy whenever and wherever he can.
“Hey, curious bear, want to see something cool?”
Mahon faces me, having found a shallow enough part to stand. The water laps around his waist, but through the clear liquid, I catch a distorted glimpse of his cock. Suddenly, I want a much closer view.
“What’s this cool thing you’re bragging about?” he challenges with a smirk.
I respond by melting. My clothes fall to the surface of the dock as every part of my body transforms into H2O. I flow into Lake Galen, immediately one with all the water around me.
My other form.
This version of me is exactly right, according to the lore of mythics. In this watery body, I am like every other undine. It’s as if I had two slots and three options, and the universe decided tocarefully place undine into one and forcefully shove dragon and human into the other.
Both feel right to me. It’s the rest of the world that cannot handle one.
Sinking into the gentle current, I flow through the inlet, reintroducing myself to every rock and root and stretch of clay. This lake bottom is home. I’ve traversed almost all of Lake Galen this way, but no part inspires such loyalty as this cove.
“Satine?”
Even deep under the surface, I hear his voice. With a shift, I flow to the space in front of Mahon, and I pull on my power to rise from the surface, presenting a watery form to reassure him.
“Gods, you freaked me out there. My fault.” He offers a rueful grin. “Forgot you’re part undine.” He steps forward and tries to wrap his thick arms around my waist. But the muscular limbs pass straight through. Mahon frowns, brows dipping low.
“Pouty bear,” I tease. “Let me make you feel better.”
“Wha—”
Before he can finish asking, I sink back into the lake. I might not be able to create a fully solid figure from water, but that doesn’t mean I can’t exert pressure.
Mahon’s bare legs stand firm, like thick tree trunks plunging into the water. And there’s his branch, bobbing in the gentle current. Almost as if he were waving to me.
Can’t let that greeting go unacknowledged.
Leisurely, I weave my body through and around his legs. Then, giving in to desire, I form my mouth and ease my liquid lips down his length until he juts straight and proud.
