The thought of my mate with anyone other than me makes my skin burn. The need to claim her again pulls at me like a riptide. Thankfully, class ends before I can act impulsively, and Madi drags me quickly from the room.
“Ugh! I’m sorry about that,” she says as we make the short walk back to her apartment. “He’s such an ass, never able to let things go, always trying to make my life a living hell ever since I dumped him.”
“Dumped?”
“Broke up. Stopped seeing him. Kicked the asshole out of my bed.”
“You were… together?” My worst fear is realized.
“Yeah, for a time, until he… You know what? I really don’t want to talk about this.”
She looks straight ahead, and I can feel she needs a moment to recover. We walk across something Madison calls akwad. It’s a vast open area surrounded by buildings like the one we just left. The vegetation is cropped short, and stone-like pathways cross and weave throughout. Directly in the middle is a rectangular pool of water that seems to have several levels to it. Very odd.
“What would you like to talk about, my mate?”
“Your English is really improving.” She smiles at me, nervously spinning the ring on her right hand. “You know… we should probably talk about you. I mean, Branson was an ass with how he asked it, but I would like to know where you’re from and how the heck you ended up naked in that cave. We haven’t really… talked.”
“I like how we communicate.” I grin at her, tracing a finger up her arm and back down again. Goosebumps lift on her skin, and I can feel a spark of lust through the bond. But she bats my hand away.
“I’m serious, Caspian. We barely know anything about each other, and we’rebonded!” She looks ahead again, wrapping her arms around her midsection like armor. “If you don’t want to tell me, it’s fine.”
“It is not that.” I stop just outside of her apartment. “I do not know if you will believe me if I tell you.”
She narrows her eyes like she’s trying to see if I’m telling the truth. I’m certain she can sense my uncertainty and concern. I push as much sincerity as I can toward her through the bond. Her palm cups my cheek. “How about we start with something easier?”
I lean into her soft touch.
“What do your tattoos mean?” she asks.
“Tattoos?”
“The symbols on your hands.”
“These?” I hold up my palms.
She nods, then reaches out and traces the marks with one delicate finger.
“These are my sigils,” I answer. “They delineate my status as a royal in the kingdom of Tythas.”
“You’re aking?!” My mate gasps, nearly jumping back from me.
“Ah, no. Simply a prince. Third in line to the throne, so it is unlikely I will rule. My role is to be married off for an alliance.”
My mate is wide-eyed as an incredulous laugh slips past her lips. “Well, I think you messed up there.”
“I did not mess up.” I back her against the wall of her building, boxing her in. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.” She’s covered the bond mark at her neck with a scarf, so I kiss over the fabric, then work my way up her neck to the shell of her ear. “You were always meant to be mine.”
We kiss lazily for a few minutes, but my mate is not to be deterred. She pulls back, placing her fingertips on my lips to keep me from going back in for more.
“I’ve never heard of Tythas. Where is it?” she asks. “And why are you here?”
For a long moment, I debate how much I should tell her. She might not believe me. The truth of what I am might scare her. Will she think we’re incompatible? All of these questions and arguments flit quickly through my mind, but ultimately, I don’t want to keep secrets from my mate.
I choose the easiest question to answer first. “I am here seekingthe lost city of Ocearus.”
Instantly, Madison’s excitement flows through the bond. “So you were telling the truth in class? You truly think it’s real? Finally! Someone believes me. Everyone around here thinks I’m crazy.” Her excitement dims and is tinged with shame. I don’t like it. I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, studying her carefully.
Her eyes are sad as they meet mine. “My aunt, she used to tell me stories of an underwater city. An ancient place that belonged to merfolk and was full of history and technology like we’ve never seen. I’ve wanted to find it ever since I was a little girl.”
