ChapterThirty-Three
Colbie
“Want to go for a swim with me?” He sounds a little unsure, so I start to strip off my own uniform, no longer concerned about nudity in front of my guys. They’ve seen and worshiped every possible part of my body by now and seem fond of it.
I shiver when I’m completely naked, but it isn’t from being cold—it’s from anticipation for what’s about to happen.
“Have fun,” Gryffin calls as Micah takes my hand. Without another word, we both step into the pool. A squeal leaves my mouth as we plummet. I expected it to be a gentle slope downward, but instead, I’m completely submerged in an instant, the water covering my head. It isn’t cold, so it doesn’t take my breath away, and by contrast, it’s warm and comforting.
I start to panic slightly and begin to swim to the surface, but Micah wraps his arms around me as I watch him shift. His isn’t as aggressive and painful looking as the other guys’. It’s like a wave of magic flows over him, and his legs fuse and scales appear, as do gill slits in his neck. I feel the same thing happen to me, and I wonder if that is always going to occur whenever I’m in water… though it didn’t when I was in the tub in the cabin.
Micah shakes his head.The change is automatic, but it requires you to be fully submerged for longer than a minute, he saysinside my head.Come on, let’s check out this pool to make sure there isn’t anything living in here we need to worry about.
I gape at him with dread before spinning around and eyeing the depths. The water is crystal clear, but it obviously glows because of the moss above. There are only shadows down here and the absence of light.
I can’t see anything,I tell him, and he flicks his tail and takes the lead.
Use your other senses as well. You’ll find your tail is sensitive to movement in the water, and you will have a kind of echolocation sense now as well. It helps us navigate the depths, but your eyes will adjust, just give it a moment.
I flick my own tail, not wanting to let him get too far in front of me. There is a flash of light that has me squinting as his trident appears in his hand, and my heart starts to race.
Holy shit, did you see something?I ask, spinning around in search of danger, but he shakes his head and holds out his free hand for me. I take it, and we swim side by side.
No, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. I will defend you with my life, he vows, and my body feels all warm and tingly at his declaration.
We leisurely explore the bottom of the pool, taking our time and talking about everything and nothing. Micah tells me he is an only child and that his upbringing was very regimented but didn’t lack in love. His mother is a very affectionate person, although his father is slightly more reserved. He thinks it’s because of his position on the mer council, which takes up a lot of his time. Neither of them were thrilled when he decided to join the shifter military, especially with the strained relations between the mer and the rest of the shifter population, but they eventually accepted his choice.
He teaches me how to maneuver quickly through the water, showing me how to use my tail to my advantage, and eventually, it feels like I’ve had one my entire life.
What are those?I ask, pointing to a rock formation that sparkles with veins of bright green gems that look like they have an inner glow.
They are called aqualibrite. They are highly prized in both the witch and fae kingdoms because they can store and amplify fae or witch power. The stones can be drawn on when they are drained from overuse. They are rare and highly regulated, though, and are supposed to be tricky to mine.
They are pretty.I run my finger over one of them, and I feel a pulse of power explode from them, the shock wave washing over us and pushing us backward, sending me tumbling head over tail.
Whoa, I groan as Micah snags me, pulling me against this chest.That was unexpected.
He chuckles.I have a feeling that’s why they are hard to mine. They have their own inbuilt defense system.
It’s certainly effective.I rest my head against his chest, enjoying the feeling of having his arms around me. I’m not sure where his trident went—probably back where it came from—but as his tail brushes against mine, sending a wave of desire washing over me, I don’t really care.
I lift my head and find him looking at me with a wealth of love and desire.Colbie, you’re beautiful. I never dared to hope to be blessed with a mate mark. I’m a little bit older than the rest of your mates, and I thought I wasn’t worthy, but if you’ll let me, I will try my hardest to make sure you are loved and loved well for the rest of your life. His tone is sweet but seductive, and I press my mouth against his in response.
Kissing underwater is weird. Our gills make it so we can fuse our mouths together without the need to breathe, but water constantly flows in and out of them. His tongue tangles with mine as he pulls my body tightly against his, and the bottoms of our tails kind of weave together until I don’t know where I end and he starts.
He slides a hand between us and cups my breast, squeezing it gently before leaning down and taking my nipple into his mouth. I arch my back, giving him better access, and he switches between both, giving each nipple plenty of attention.
Lower down, a hard ridge rubs against where my pelvis would be in human form, and I moan at the delicious sensation it causes. Air bubbles dance elegantly to the surface as Micah releases the nipple in his mouth.
Are you ready to become my mate?he asks, pressing his forehead against mine and staring deep into my soul.
I’m still unsure of the exact logistics of that, but I’m eager to find out, so I nod in agreement.Yes, teach me how to mate in mer form.
He releases me and untangles his tail from mine before moving backward, and I frown with disappointment.
He smiles at my reaction.We just need to pluck our heart scales first, so we can insert them under each other’s skin. Then, we’ll make love, and at the moment of climax, the skin will heal over the scales, mating us forever, he explains, curving his body so his tail sort of bends up in front of him. He’s way more flexible than I thought he would be.
I focus on the scales at the base of his tail and spot the very one he’s talking about—a perfect heart-shaped scale that sits in the center of his caudal fin. He slides a fingernail under it and tugs sharply. He winces, and I feel his pain through our bond, but he beams happily when he holds it up for me to see.
