Marked by the Sea (Monsters’ Mates #1)

Chapter 14

Riftan

Three days had passed before I could taste her again. The moment I could slip out, I did, and the first thing I did was return to her. Now that I’d had my fill of her, I was content. The swim back shouldn’t have taken as long as it did, but with her taste still on my lips, I took my time. Everything seemed brighter, and maybe that was due to me gliding just beneath the surface or the little succubus I couldn’t stay away from. The moon bathed me in light, reflecting off my scales as the stars twinkled brightly. Yet nothing could touch my gems. The corners of my lips pulled up of their volition. The high she gave me was like nothing I’d experienced before. With one last glance behind me, I dove deep, welcoming the darkness, glad to feel giddy without the chance of onlookers.

Eventually, I glided down the hall toward my chamber when I noted a tanned merman with a red glimmering tail wearing the armor of the North Seas stationed outside. I had a guest. My mood instantly soured. Twice now I’d returned, only to have those who thought they had rights to what was mine in my space. I caught her scent before I saw her and rolled my neck, cracking it in irritation. The guilt of having another female in here was something I’d never felt before, but now that I had, it was unwelcome. Everything good in the world melted away, and the reality and severity of our situation bled in.

This is my mate’s cave.

She doesn’t belong here.

My instincts screamed she was not supposed to be here, and that I needed to kill the intruder, but I ignored them. Heading through the first room, I slid into my bedchamber. Her back was to me, but long white hair floated around her with a tail to match. She had enough sense not to be in my bed. Hearing me, she turned. Light blue horns curved upward, her chin high, her shoulders back. Her hands came together, and her fingers interlocked.

“Riftan.” Prem lowered her gaze before eyes that matched her blue horns locked on me—they were void of pupils. No gems twinkled back at me. Mirroring her, I greeted her.

“Prem. What are you doing here?” It was customary for us to kiss upon meeting, but neither of us moved.

I don’t want my lips anywhere near hers.

“The King requested I come as soon as possible. My father was eager to agree. I arrived a few days ago.” She clenched her jaw, but other than that, there were no signs of her displeasure.

“Of course.” I’d been busy. Visiting her hadn’t been a priority. There was nothing for us to discuss. We were both aware of our betrothal. It had always been the way of our kind. Duty came before wants. We floated there, staring at each other.

“The King told me you were aware of my arrival.” Her nose didn’t wrinkle. Her lips didn’t draw my attention. And I didn’t feel the urge to touch her. She didn’t have the same effect on me as… her.

“I was.”

“Am I to assume you didn’t want to see me until our joining?” There was no bitterness in her tone. She took no offense to the idea of me not wanting to see her until then. Why would she? Prem held no feelings for me.

“Correct. I’d be chained to you for the rest of my life. I had no wish to relinquish my last few days of freedom.”

“Wonderful.”

Again, we stared at each other in silence. I could hear the noises of the kingdom outside. Yet all I could think about was that she didn’t have any freckles.

“I…” Prem trailed off, then shook her head.

“You came here for a reason. Or did you want to get started early on what was required of us?” It was rude, but I wanted her out. My words didn’t surprise her. If they did, she showed no reaction. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before looking at me again. Something was building between us, and there was no doubt something plagued her.

“Is this what you wanted?” Her question caught me off guard. No one had ever asked me what I wanted. Drifting closer, I leaned on the coral and looked out at the kingdom. I could feel her eyes on the side of my face.

“Is this a trick question?” I chuckled. She sighed.

“You’re… something to look at. Anyone would be lucky to have you. But did you not wonder if there was more out there?” She was being sincere. Facing her, I let my eyes roam down her body. She was beautiful, pure, and supposed to be mine in a few days’ time. But I felt nothing. My cock didn’t twitch. Not even a little.

“I’m flattered you’d enjoy riding me, but were you questioning our agreement, princess?”

“Answer the question, Riftan.” She was irritated. Finally. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, her royal mask slipped.

“I’ve already seen what’s out there.” And I love it.

“I have more of a chance of hearing the coral answer my questions. Forget I mentioned anything.” She jerked her head angrily, and with a swish of her tail, she turned her back on me.

“Prem.” Stopping, she turned to face me.

It kills me to say this. Not because of the princess staring back at me, but because of who I’m thinking of as I say the words.

“Our feelings have no place in this relationship. You’re promised to me, and I to you. I will wed you. And bed you. What I want has nothing to do with upholding my word. There’s nothing that will cause me to break it. If this is about the merman waiting for you outside, deal with it.”

“Your highness,” she gritted out before dipping her chin. I said nothing more and she disappeared.

With her finally gone, I sat on my bed and watched the sea life inhabiting my coral. One of my personal favorites, the flashlight fish, could rotate their organs to flicker on and off to find their prey. But since my room was lit, they had it switched off. Misery, the sneaky cat shark, was nowhere to be seen. She must be napping.

My thoughts wandered to my little human, as they so often had since I’d first lain eyes on her. I burned to have her here, and it caused something to twist in my chest. I needed her scent on every surface, erasing any trace of Prem in here. It hadn’t been long since I’d had her, and yet, I craved her sweet nectar on my bed. I wanted her beneath me, screaming my name for all the kingdoms to hear.

Did she miss me as much as I did her?

Or did my brother’s presence erase every thought of me from her mind?

I itched. I didn’t want to be here. My words repeated:

The last of my freedom.

The last of my freedom.

The last of my freedom.

I didn’t want to spend any more of it here.

Not even 24 hours had passed since I’d seen her last, yet impulsively, I gave up. Flying from the bed, I didn’t bother going through the kingdom. I swam from my window, over the kingdom, homes, and merfolk below. As the soldiers felt me draw near, they turned and saluted. Hexon’s large kraken form loomed in the deep. krakens were forbidden from entering, as per the King’s demand.

I was just about to link you. Where are you headed?

Without seeing his human face, and even without his voice in my head, I would have known he was smiling. Ignoring him, I swam away, needing to put as much space as possible between me and the kingdom I would be bound to in a few days’ time. He was silent as he joined me. His powerful tentacles pushed him effortlessly through the waters. Everything was a blur as I followed my desires and rushed to her. There was a princess waiting for me in the palace, yet all I could think of was the human above the surface. When the lights were swallowed by the deep, Hexon cleared his throat.

You like her.

Say you like her.

Not now, Hexon.

Is it a sin to admit your feelings?

Yes.

Dramatic, as always.

Why don’t you go spend time with Ro?

The kraken’s tentacles swished as they moved out of the way until a patch of blue was visible. And then Rowan popped out from the mass. The cheeky faerie winked at me before I rushed ahead.

So much for that.

We want to keep her, Rift.

We?

The kraken ignored me, and Rowan made an irritated sound. I figured he felt more for her. I could see it in the way he defended her before I dismissed him. Rowan isn’t one to lie. He is quiet when he doesn’t want to answer.

Yes, we.

Coming to a halt, my tail flicked beneath me. They knew not what they spoke of, and it was time I enlightened them. They’d never wanted to keep one. Before I saw Rowan with her, I would have expected him to beg for her life like he’d done with the previous ones. But keeping her? They were delusional. I ignored the gnawing voice that whispered I’d thought of the same thing. Glaring at Hexon and the tentacles that fell from his face like a beard, and then to Rowan, who flushed red as he hid his body beneath Hexon’s mass, suspiciously close to his tenta-cock.

“And what would keeping her look like, Rowan?” I snapped. The faerie leaned forward.

“It would look like it does now.” I could see the truth shining in his blue eyes. He believed that we could keep her chained up there for life. As if she would ever be happy with that.

“It would look like it does now,” Hexon repeated. His words sent vibrations reverberating around us.

“For once, would you think with your head? Not with your dick or your three hearts, but your head,” I hissed. Hexon grumbled.

“That’s not fair, Riftan. Hex has been thinking about this,” Rowan interjected.

“It didn’t sound like it!” I shook my head. Swimming back and forth in place, anxiety washed over me as I imagined it.

“He wanted more for her. We both did,” Rowan tried again.

“What would it mean if I broke my oath?” I yelled. Both remained silent, and I stopped pacing.

“We could—”

“The Kingdoms would be at war, and not just for me,” I said as I cut off Rowan.

I glared at my brother as he remained in his largest form. Rowan’s hands fell to his side. They both knew what would happen if I didn’t claim Prem. The North Seas would attack, the krakens would be in danger, and in doing so, I’d appear weak. My godfather could challenge my ability to rule and hold on to my seat longer. The North King was as vicious and ruthless as they came.

“We’d be putting our people at risk. And for what? A mere human?” I shook my head.

“She’s no mere human. She’s more. And you know it,” Rowan whispered.

“You were as stubborn as they come,” I snarled.

“And you were lying to yourself.” I’d never fought this much with my brothers, but right now, I couldn’t see how Rowan couldn’t understand.

“Rowan,” Hexon warned. His vibrations itched my gills.

“What?” Rowan snapped.

“Too far.” The tip of his tentacle tipped Rowan’s chin up.

“No, I don’t! Someone needed to tell him. He’s in denial!” Rowan’s voice was desperate now.

“And what was I in denial about, Row?”

Blue eyes turned to me, his gaze searching.

“You wouldn’t admit what she was—who she was.”

My brows furrowed as I looked between the two. My head went up and down as Hexon towered over us. A beard-tentacle dropped to Rowan’s shoulder, and the faerie jerked his head away.

Row. My love.

He’s not in denial.

He is!

He just won’t —

He hasn’t realized.

She’s our mate, Rift.

“You lie.” My laugh echoed, but Rowan’s concerned gaze made me stop.

“You know of the legend. It’s been done before. She can stay and—” Rowan tried.

“No. Even if what you say is true, it would only give me that much more reason not to keep her,” I admitted. Rowan spoke of the legend, myth more like. Once upon a time, a mermaid fell for a man. She dragged him beneath, and somehow, a kiss gave him the ability to breathe like we could. That was one retelling. In the other version, the human drowned to death.

“It can be done. We can try it,” Rowan tried again.

“I agreed she stayed. I never agreed to drowning her,” Hexon growled. His emotion shook the waters.

“No one wants to drown her. We’ll figure it out.” Rowan soothed the giant.

“How? How are two kings from different kingdoms supposed to take the same human? Is she to stay with me for half of the year and then come to your kingdom for the other? It wouldn’t work. It’s foolish to wish for things that cannot be.” I was the only one thinking rationally. I could not allow myself to be ruled by my emotions. Tentacles reached out for me. I wanted to bat them away, but Hexon was softer than he looked. They suctioned onto my back as they inched closer. Rowan moved to leave the bundle of tentacles holding him close. Hexon grumbled but released him. Rowan closed the distance and touched my arm.

“She’s not our mate.” I didn’t believe the words that just left my lips.

“It’s okay to want her.”

“Don’t you think I would take her if I could?” I muttered.

“You can! You’re going to be king of the sea! You can do whatever you want.” Rowan couldn’t understand. He never would. “Take her, claim her as yours. You don’t have to make her your queen.” Bioluminescent fluids rolled down his cheeks.

Even as he tried to find a way, I knew that even in this hypothetical world where I gave in to my desires, she would be my queen. She was second to no one. Hexon’s tentacles rubbed circles in my back as if he were trying to calm a skittish seal pup.

“Please… I can’t… I like her. She was made for us. I don’t want to lose her, Rift,” Rowan’s voice cracked as he tried to reason with me. Tentacles wrapped around his waist.

“I don’t have time to argue about things that’ll never come to pass. Let me have what time I have left. I’m grateful for the time I had. I’m not foolish enough to wish for more.” Moving from Hexon’s kindness and Rowan’s desperation, I cut through the water at full speed. My brothers were not far behind.

It wasn’t long before we could make out the outline of the cave in the distance. I could feel the weight drop from my shoulders. The closer I got, the more relieved I was. Without waiting for my brothers, I propelled myself from the water and onto the familiar stone. I knew she’d be excited to see me. I noticed it when she saw me earlier. Rowan’s words rang true.

She’s our mate.

Our mate.

Our mate.

Mate.

Mate.

Mate.

I can’t wait to see her.

A sound caused me to freeze in my tracks. My godfather’s voice.