I nod, throat too dry to speak. Phoenix grins and brushes a kiss across my cheek before pulling me all the way over the edge.
Madi hunches over something directly in the middle of the rock. It’s a round hole, barely big enough for one large person. It’s smooth and symmetrical. Too perfect to have been made by nature. And it’s filled with water,all the way to the edge.
“Do you think it’s down there?” Madi asks as I reach her side.
“Let’s find out.” I dip my hand into the water, finding it warmer than the sea, but not as warm as the bath Phoenix put me in yesterday.
“Be careful,” Madi says, worrying her bottom lip. “Don’t get stuck or something.”
I give her a quick kiss, then take off the shorts I just put on and dive headfirst into the hole.
30
Iknow Caspian will be fine, but my heart still plummets as he drops out of view. Phoenix takes the i'xal out of his pocket and rubs his thumb over it in a nervous motion. Apart from today, I haven’t spent much time with him, but I get the impression he doesn’t enjoy staying still or waiting.
Hunter comes up behind us and places one hand on my shoulder and one on Phoenix’s. The weight calms the jittery feeling in my gut.
“He’ll be fine,” Hunter says, but he doesn’t take his eyes off the hole either.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot movement on the beach and turn to look. I don’t want anyone to see Caspian when he comes back up. The sun glares down from directly overhead, and I lift a hand to shade my eyes. There are three people on the beach, near the other side of the cove, too far away to make out their faces. Hopefully, they can’t see us clearly either.
I turn my attention back to the hole. “He should be out by now, right?”
Phoenix shrugs. “We don’t know how deep it goes.”
I lean farther over the edge, peering into the darkness. It’s impossible to see what’s down there. Hunter’s grip on my shoulder tightens like he’s holding me back, worried I might fall. I glance up at him, and the look he’s giving me makes my chest all warm and fuzzy.
Phoenix must notice because he bumps his shoulder against mine and whispers, “So… seems like you two had fun yesterday.”
Hunter clears his throat, lets go of me and steps back. I glare at Phoenix. Another thing I’m realizing about Hunter’s best friend is that he’s an instigator. He enjoys stirring up trouble. Well, two can play at that.
“And it looked like you were getting awfully cozy with my mate during your swim,” I sass back.
Phoenix just grins. “Yeah, I was.” He swings around so he’s sitting on the edge of the hole with his legs in the water. “Feel like sharing?”
My face burns even though I lathered on sunscreen before we left. I laugh to dissipate some of the tension.
There’s some noise from down the beach. The people I spotted earlier have moved closer. It’s not uncommon for students to hang out down here, but their presence makes me nervous for Caspian. I take off the small backpack I’m carrying, set it on the rock next to the opening, and reposition so I’m blocking the view from the beach, sitting with my legs in the warm water like Phoenix. Hunter stays standing behind us, like some kind of silent sentinel.
“You think I’m joking, but I’m not.” The alpha besideme kicks the water. He picks up the shorts Caspian was wearing and twirls them around one finger with a wicked smile. “Can I keep these?”
“Phoenix,” Hunter says, a note of censure in his voice.
Phoenix tilts his head back so he can look up at Hunter. “You can’t tell me you wouldn’t join that party.”
Hunter looks away, scowling, but he doesn’t deny it. My heart does a hopeful little flip, and I squeeze my thighs together. Something wraps around my foot, and I scream, yanking my leg up with a smiling merman still attached to it.
He pulls himself out of the water, leaning over me and kissing me like it’s been hours since we saw each other instead of minutes. I’m acutely aware of Phoenix and Hunter watching, but I quickly forget about our audience as Caspian slots his firm body between my legs, hands framing my hips, wet chest pushing into mine and soaking more than my shirt.
“You’re gonna want to see this, starfish,” he says against my lips between kisses. He grabs my hips like he’s going to pull me into the hole with him, but Hunter stops him by banding his forearm across my chest from behind. He’s squatting down at my back with his knees pinning my arms to my body.
“She can’t breathe underwater like you can, Caspian,” Hunter growls as if my mate’s forgotten my limitations. I’m sure he hasn’t.
“It is only a short swim, and then there’s air,” Caspian replies, looking up at Hunter.
“How short?”
“She will be fine,” Caspiansays. “I am certain of it.” He quirks his head to the side, eyes sparkling. “You, on the other hand…”
