Neon eyes look at me, flick to Lello, then back to me. Then they disappear. I blink. It slowly dawns on me that Blue has slipped silently underwater without so much as a ripple. It takes my mind a few seconds to grasp that he’s gone.
A wave of sadness and regret washes over me. Intense enough to steal my breath. What the hell is going on? I’m pretty sure I’m just utterly confused. Lost. Befuddled and bewildered. Where is all this sadness coming from?
“Oh,” gasps Lello softly. He’s staring blankly at the dark water. All his exuberance and determination from a heartbeat ago has vanished, faded away like the setting sun.
“What is going on?” I ask weakly, but Lello ignores me.
He just continues to stare at the empty pool with a pained look on his face. “I’m sorry, Blue. But you need to tell Sammy.”
Silence. A cold wind makes me shudder. I wrap my arms around myself, feeling the chill seep into my bones.
“Tell me what?” I ask Lello, keeping my eyes on the pool. There’s no sign of Blue at all. The water is eerily calm.
“Blue!” Lello calls, his voice tinged with frustration. “You can’t ignore Sammy! It’s not fair!” His words echo around the garden, bouncing off the silent water.
And I nearly snort at the hypocrisy. But my gaze is too busy scanning the pool and finding nothing. I sigh. “Come on, Lello. Let’s go back inside. Blue clearly doesn’t feel like talking right now.” I try to sound calm, but my voice wavers. I feel an ache in my chest, a gnawing sense of loss and confusion.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Blue is mortified and embarrassed by Lello’s ridiculous allegation that we’re mated and he doesn’t feel up to debasing the enthusiastic kelpie of the idea. It does seem like a daunting and exhausting task.
“Won’t Carter be wondering where you are?” I try to divert Lello’s attention, knowing he can’t usually bear to be away from his mate. It’s worth a shot.
The kelpie turns to look at me, his eyes filled with worry and determination. “I’m sorry, Sammy, but you and Blue really need to talk.”
And then he pushes me into the water.
The shock of the cold water hits me like a punch to the gut. My arms flail, instinctively trying to find something to hold on to. My feet kick, trying to orient myself, but the water is disorienting, pulling me down and surrounding me in darkness.
Panic claws at my chest, and I struggle to break the surface. My lungs burn, and I fight to keep my head above water. “Blue!” I try to shout, but it comes out as a strangled gasp. The kelpie’s push caught me completely off guard, and now I’m thrashing in the deep end, my earlier lessons with Blue forgotten in my panic. Not that I had learned much.
Just as I’m sure I’m going to drown, strong arms wrap around me, pulling me to the surface. I splutter, gasping for air, and find myself face-to-face with Blue. His neon eyes glow softly in the darkness, filled with concern and something else. Something deeper.
“Sammy,” he says, his voice a soothing balm against my frayed nerves. “Breathe. I’ve got you.”
I cling to him and try to gather my wits while my lungs continue to gasp like oxygen is going out of fashion. I glance around and see Lello has vanished. Little shit.
Eventually, I’m able to talk.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” I ask.
Guilt and unease fill Blue’s eyes.
Oh shit. I think Lello is right.
I’m mated to Blue.
Chapter eleven
Blue
Sammy looks so betrayed. Hurt is clouding his beautiful eyes, and I hate it. Water is still streaming off him and somehow my arms are still around him. We are nearly nose to nose. I can feel the warmth of his body through his wet clothes.
I lift him up, out of the water, and seat him on the edge of the pool. Then I back away a little. Not too far, just in case he falls in.
I’m going to kill Lello when I get my hands on him. Or thank him. Possibly both. Thanks to him, I now see what Sammy means to me. Of course I’m going to save him. Whatever the cost. The alternative is unthinkable.
Thrust back into the very same situation that caused us to be mated, there was no doubt in my mind. Even when fully aware of the consequences. The first time was instinctual, without thinking it through. But thank the stars, it was the right choice. One I would make a thousand times over.
“We’re mated?” Sammy asks in a tone of disbelief.
