Chapter 33

Rose

" A lright, it's time for you two lovebirds to go on a date," Milo declared later that evening as I sat on the couch watching a nature documentary. I stared at him, blinking in confusion and a little bit of surprise, but he just smiled, coming over to kneel at my feet and cup my cheek. "You and Will haven't had any time to yourselves, and I think it would be good for you to relearn how to be with each other as a couple without me palling around all the time."

I opened my mouth to refute him, then closed it again. My selkie was perhaps a little too observant, but he was right. Milo had been the buffer between us from the moment I bull-in-a-china-shopped my way into a love confession, and I hadn't been alone with Will long enough for there to be comfort in being with him like I had before. It still felt a little taboo to have them both, even if my heart was happy for it. I slouched.

"Besides," he continued after pressing a kiss to my cheek, "he's been working on this all afternoon, and I think he'd be sad if you didn't go."

I narrowed my eyes at Milo's mischievous grin, knowing he was using my weakness for them and their happiness against me. I poked him in the ribs. "You don't play fair."

He jumped, laughing. "No, no I do not. Not when it comes to our mating." He stood and pulled me to my feet. "Now, get your little booty in gear. He's waiting for you on the porch."

Before I stepped away from him, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close, my cheek pressed against his chest. I reached under his shirt to feel his skin. "Thank you for your patience," I said, nuzzling him a little, "and thank you for trying so hard to help me with this mating stuff. I know it must be difficult when you have a clueless oaf for a mate."

He kissed the top of my head. "I'll do anything to make this work," he said, the tiniest purr rumbling from him. "And if it takes me playing chess to get all the pieces where they need to be, then so be it."

I squeezed him a little tighter, then pulled away, going up on my tiptoes to kiss him. "And I'm so grateful for it."

He purred a little more, smiling against my lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I patted his chest. "And you as well, Beastie."

Milo didn't give Beastie the time to speak or react. Instead, he whirled me around and nudged me toward the door. "Have a good time."

"Yes, sir!" I saluted him over my shoulder.

Will was indeed on the porch waiting for me, and as soon as I shut the front door behind me, he was there, pulling me toward him for a kiss that made my head spin.

"Hello, pretty girl," he murmured against my lips. "I hope you don't mind me hijacking you for the evening."

"Not at all," I replied, a little kiss-drunk.

"Good! We're going to go for a little swim, and I prepared something really nice for us." He beamed down at me. "And before you worry, I made sure it was safe." He pointed at the flash crystal on his necklace. "Should there be any hint of danger, we will be able to get away quickly."

I couldn't help but beam back up at him, grateful for his forethought. "Alright, then lead the way."

Will kissed me again, just a peck, before taking me by the hand and tugging me toward the beach. Once we were there, Will started pulling off his clothes, and I followed suit, pulling off my dress and folding it up where it wouldn't be swept out to see if we didn't make it back by high tide. Since my lunch with Aeden and friends, I hadn't bothered wearing a bra or panties, so when my dress was off, I was completely bare. Once again, self-consciousness had me wanting to hide my body, but I stopped myself from doing so.

I'm Otherkind now, dammit. I can be naked all I like, especially around my mate.

I turned and saw Will staring at me, his thumbs hooked on the waistband of his own pants as if he'd stopped mid-motion to gawk. There was as much surprise in his eyes as there was hunger, and all over again, I wanted to put the dress back on or hide myself from his roving gaze. Instead of doing that, however, I decided to pull an Ava and make a joke.

"I thought you Otherkind were supposed to be nudists." I barely concealed my smirk as I pointed toward my folded clothes. "Should I put my dress back on?"

It took a moment for him to register that I was joking, but he let out a peal of laughter as he resumed taking his pants off. "Far be it from me to keep you from indulging in Otherkind nudist culture." He folded his clothes atop mine, then took my hand. "Are you ready?"

"Of course."

When we stepped into the water, the sea water against my feet felt divine, as if my whole body was coming back to life. I probably needed more ocean time than I was getting, but with everything going on? I wasn't sure when going out would become safe again.

As soon as we were submerged and hidden using the magic in our necklaces, we shifted to our mer-forms. Will never let go of my hand as he guided me toward our destination. With breathless ease, we cut through the water east along the coast of Casper, toward where Titan Falls thundered down into the ocean. Will took a sharp turn upward to the surface, tugging me with him. Without saying a word, he slowed our pace as we approached the falls, and suddenly, I could see why.

All around us, the water lit up with blue bioluminescence.

Where the waterfall met the ocean, the waves, even where we moved through the sea—it all glowed bright in the starless night. I stopped, my hand slipping from Will's, so I could run my fingers through the lucent water. It was mesmerizing, watching the inky black of the ocean light up and outline my invisible form.

"It's beautiful," I whispered, turning to Will.

"I thought you'd like it." He smiled, his eyes soft. "Come on. The place I want to take you is just past the falls."

Nodding, I took his hand again and let him guide me. Sure enough, past Titan Falls was a small beach, inaccessible except by boat or swimming given the sheer rock face that soared above it. He tugged me onward, shifting to his human form as we approached. As we reached the shoreline, more of Will's efforts greeted me. There on the sand was a soft white blanket and a picnic basket with a very full charcuterie board, sweets, and wine set out.

I beamed at him. "You set this up for us?"

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "I've never gotten the chance to take you on a real dinner date with just the two of us, and I wanted to do something, even if I can't take you out like I'd like."

I squeezed his hand. "This is lovely. Thank you."

"I want to make you happy."

Oh. Oh, how my heart fluttered.

He brought us to the blanket to sit, and when we were settled, he immediately poured us wine and plated the snacks. I thanked him when he handed me my wine glass and plate, taking a sip right afterward. We sat there in silence for a little while, simply sharing the moment as we munched. It was the most relaxed I'd felt in a long time.

The comfortable quiet between us was broken when Will spoke, and his words made something in me still.

"Why did you say you were afraid of us leaving you?" he asked, his eyes trained on me.

I furrowed my brows. Where had that come from? "Huh?"

"When we had our first discussion about the three of us being mated, you said you were afraid both of us would leave you. Why do you worry about that?"

It took me a moment to remember what he was referring to, and when I did, my cheeks heated. I looked away, picking the words that were easiest for me to say… and easiest for him to hear.

"Because you left me and didn't look back," I replied, barely a whisper. "I understand why you did it; it was the safest option for you and your family at the time. But you… you leaving after everything that had happened, after losing my father, Eli, the kids… it broke me. And I think losing either of you or Vi again would kill me. I couldn't survive it."

His reply was equally soft, almost imperceptible over the sweep of the waves and the thunder of the waterfall. "I thought you'd get over me. I thought, since you didn't show your emotions very much at the time, that I didn't mean that much to you." His voice hitched. "And honestly, I couldn't face you, not after what my father had made me do. I thought you'd only ever be able to see me as the man who'd killed the man you looked to as a father."

I forced myself to face him, at his stricken expression and haunted gaze. "I admit I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the cave when I first saw you on the beach that day, but when you came back, all I could think of was how surprised and relieved I was to have you near again… and chastising myself for thinking about how we were both naked. And that I had a boyfriend, so I shouldn't have been remembering the other times your hands had been on me."

Will laughed, thank the Gods, at the furious blush in my cheeks. "You were always a very needy girl." The smile faded from his face. "If I'd known what you were to me, I'd never have left you. I'd have taken you with me to keep you safe from him. But for me to have known, I'd have to have known what exactly mates were."

"You didn't know about mates?"

"I knew of them, but not what that looked like for merfolk. I think…" Will's expression grew dark, his muscles tensing. "I think my father knew you were my mate in the cave that night. I think that's why he didn't outright kill you then, or even when you attacked him earlier. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hesitated. He sure as fuck didn't hesitate when it came to trying to kill Violet."

"Why would he hide it from you?" I scooted closer to him, needing to feel his skin against mine, to grab his hand.

His tone went cold. "Control. Everything with him is about control. He kept me, Mom, my sisters all in the dark so he could keep us under his thumb. Like, with my mother and sisters' siren powers—he could've been teaching them from birth how to control them, could've prevented my sisters from accidentally killing those people if he'd just taught them, but he knew he could use those deaths to guilt them into compliance. To keep us all isolated.

"It wasn't only that, either. He totally fucked us in the head. When we first got to the islands, the elders had to clear his influence from our minds and auras. It was so deeply ingrained, it took days and multiple sessions to do. I don't know if I ever made a decision that was truly my own, and I hate him for it. I hate him so much for taking away my autonomy."

I squeezed his hand. "You know, I felt the same with my mother and father. But instead of magic, they used abuse and gaslighting to keep me in line. I know that's not the same, but I just want you to know that, in some small way, I know how you feel."

"I know you do, and that just makes it so much worse. I hate that you know what it feels like to be his puppet… that he abused you just as easily as he abuses everyone else. I don't want to live in a world where he's still alive, and maybe that's callous of me, but I know he will never stop. He could conquer the world and it would never be enough."

"We'll take him down. As soon as I can wield my powers, we'll end this once and for all." My desire to protect him, more than anything, gave me a confidence I wasn't sure I actually felt.

There had been such resolution in Will's tone that his shaken appearance seemed incongruous. When next he spoke, his words were whispered. "But… what if I regret killing him? He's the only blood relative I have left."

"I don't know. I guess all you can do is ask yourself what you would regret more." I looked away. "And it's not you who's going to kill him. It's me. You're just going to have to decide whether you can live with that or not, seeing as my continued existence hinges on his death."

He was quiet for a long while before sighing and looking over at me. "I'm not going to figure this out tonight, and honestly, I don't want to talk about my father anymore. If you're still up for it, I'd like to tell you all about merfolk mating things."

"Please?" I asked, gazing into his eyes. They were darker today, almost as dark as my own, but were swirling like a whirlpool. I pressed my hand to his cheek, hoping to bring him back to me, to more pleasant things. It seemed to work, as he nuzzled my hand, his eyes slipping shut.

"Merfolk mating rituals are not as complicated as selkie ones," he started, breathing in the scent of my skin. "It's almost the same as humans, if I'm being honest. We date, we see if we match, and then we mutually decide to marry or soul stitch ourselves together, or to part ways. Merfolk are bigger on courtship gifts, though."

"How do you know I'm your mate? Or, really, how does anyone know?" I know I'd asked this before, but that anxious part of me wreaked havoc on my psyche.

His expression softened, as if he immediately understood my need for reassurance. "Well, as I said before, it's different for everyone, but the mark is a big one. For many people, it shows up during sex, when you are one flesh with your partner. That's why it showed up that day, when I had you fully the first time."

"Would I have gotten the same mark had I been a siren then?" I asked, moving my hand back down to thread my fingers through his.

"You might have? It really depends on how you felt about me at the time." His cheeks tinged red. "For me, I was all in. I saw my future with you at my side, and I found home in your arms. I think because of that, the mark appeared." Will's eyes turned back to mine. "You have to want it for it to show up. You have to want the other person enough that your souls touch."

I thought back to the first time Milo knotted me—how close I'd felt to him, as if our very hearts were brushing. I wondered if that overwhelming feeling of being one was similar to what he spoke of. And when I thought about if I wanted it or not, well, the answer was a very easy, instantaneous yes, even if I was still struggling with navigating it.

"How do you complete the mate bond, then?" I asked in a whisper, trying so hard to be brave in the face of all the feelings churning within me.

Will looked at me with a ray of hope shining in his eyes. "I think for us, sex, but we both have to want the bond to be completed. We both have to want to be with each other for the rest of our lives." His expression softened. "I know it's hard for you to use words sometimes, so since Milo has a specific thing for you to do to show him you want to complete your mating with him, I thought I would do the same."

I wanted to pout at him for teasing me, but I didn't get the chance to. He kept speaking, his tone shifting to something far softer. "One of the courtship gifts merfolk give their intended is a string of pearls, and for every gift of magic, another pearl is added to the chain. Over their lifetime, the number of pearls grow and grow, and upon their death, they take it with them to the afterlife. It's even said that the gifts you're born with in your next life are from the pearls you received in your past life." His touch was reverent as he reached up to brush the pearl I'd given him. "Each string is different and special to their owner, to the couple. Each pearl is a priceless gift only for their intended."

That's when it hit me. The look he'd given me when I'd made a pearl for him… I'd given him a courtship gift without knowing it. My eyes widened.

"Oh," was all I could say.

He chuckled, apparently pleased I understood. "I tried not to read too much into it, since you didn't know, but… but it was the reason I finally felt like I should tell you what we were. It was proof you felt the pull as much as I did, that you weren't unaffected by me. Even if the words didn't come out exactly as planned, with the furry bastard pushing me."

"Our selkie is a bully sometimes, yeah," I replied, trying not to get lost in the feelings bubbling within me.

"I couldn't agree more. It's a good thing he's hot." Will's eyes landed on my necklace, and he reached up to slip his hand between it and my skin. "I'd like to give you another pearl, if I may. Not only to commemorate this moment, but also to return the favor. You should never have to worry about your mind being taken from you again, so I'd like to ensure you are protected so long as you wear this."

Will's magic prickled against my skin, the pearl forming in his hand. As he wove the magic, the first flutters of the barrier he was constructing surrounded my mind. I thought it would freak me out or make me feel claustrophobic, but as I met his eyes, I knew nothing but trust. I was safe in his hands, just as he was safe in mine. And when he finished, the relief was palpable. My inner siren rejoiced at the gift he'd made, crowing in her pleasure.

"This may mean I can no longer speak to you in your mind, but I think that may be for the best. It's not good to keep secrets from our third," he said, pride suffusing his features.

"Or you two keeping secrets from me," I replied wryly.

He smirked. "Well, that, too."

But he wasn't finished. He reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a small velvet bag. He opened it, untying the little silk ribbon, and tipped the contents into his palm: a silver charm bracelet. Something told me there was significance to it, but I couldn't put my finger on why I felt that way.

His smirk softened. "And this," he said, holding up the bracelet, "is what I'd like you to return to me on the day you decide whether or not you want to be mated to me. This was my biological mother's. It was given to her by my grandmother when she was a teenager. Each charm was a big moment in her life. I'm hoping to give it to my own daughter in the future, should I be lucky enough to have one."

The charm bracelet was silver, matching the chain of my necklace. There were several charms I could guess the meaning of—the globe, baby bottle, and miniature diamond ring being a few—but there were others whose meanings were probably known only to the woman herself. It was beautiful. I brushed my finger against a blue-jeweled heart.

"What's this one?" I asked.

He looked at it more closely, then laughed. "Apparently, my mother was obsessed with the movie Titanic when it came out. A trait you and she have in common, it seems."

My cheeks heated. "It was the first movie I ever watched that wasn't a documentary or school related. My college roommate showed it to me."

"What an introduction to real movies," he laughed.

"You have no idea. The car and portrait scenes had me blushing for days."

When he clasped the bracelet around my wrist, magic prickled at my skin, and after I gave him a questioning look, he said, "I made sure that it never breaks, loses any of its charms, and can't be lost. So, you don't need to worry about any of that."

"That's good. I'd feel awful if anything happened to it."

His fingers trailed gently up my arm. My breath hitched as he neared my breast, but he didn't touch me like I thought he would. Instead, he caught my eyes with his and cupped my cheek.

"The ball is in your court now, Rose. You know what I want and that I'm fully committed to being by your side for the rest of our lives." His storming turquoise eyes dipped down when he brushed his thumb against my bottom lip. "You don't have to make a decision right now. You don't even have to think about it until after all the stuff with my father comes to an end. It's enough to know that you know and are considering it."

"You'll be patient with me in the meantime?" I asked. I hadn't meant to sound so vulnerable, but there it was. Out in the open.

"Rose, I'd wait forever for you, if you wanted me to."

Looking into his eyes, his sincerity rocked me to my core. He really would wait forever for me.

"Will, may I… may I kiss you?" I asked, almost too shy to voice the words.

His gaze was tender as he replied, "Oh, pretty girl. You never have to ask."

I closed the space between us in an instant. My lips met his so softly, barely a featherlight brush, afraid he'd tell me to stop, that he'd changed his mind. But I pushed that worry away; I didn't want it in that moment. I tried to pour all my emotions into that kiss as I committed myself to it, to tell him all the things I didn't have the words for yet. But in my ardor, I lit the flame of passion within myself.

My merman soon took over the kiss, flicking his tongue against the seam of my lips to ask for entrance, which I was all too eager to grant. His tongue swept inside my mouth, exploring, mastering, until we were both panting. It was delicious torture, and I wanted more.

"Please," he murmured against my lips, "Please let me have you… I need you, but only if you want me, too."

I couldn't help but smile. "I want you inside me, Will."

His big hands grabbed my hips and hauled me over so I was straddling his lap. I tangled my fingers into his hair, and he explored my body as if committing to memory every curve and dip of my frame. It felt so right, so perfect, to have him close to me.

Will brought those wicked hands of his to my breasts, palming them before brushing his thumbs against my nipples. "Let me put these in my mouth," he growled.

Pulling my lips away from his, I rose up to bring my breasts level with his face. It was all he needed to capture an already taut nipple in his mouth. He was anything but gentle as he sucked and nipped at one bud, his free hand pinching the other. Desperate little noises spilled from my throat, almost drowned out by the nearby waterfall, but when he snaked his free hand between my legs, those noises turned to full volume.

"Do you remember?" he asked, his lips barely leaving my nipple as he dipped his fingers into my pussy before pulling them out again to leisurely circle my clit, spreading my wetness around. "Do you remember I had you just like this in the cave that day?"

"Yes… yes…" I chanted, riding his fingers.

"I wanted you so much that day. Feeling you come against my fingers was more than I could handle. The promise of your heat alone was enough to make me come all over myself, and you didn't even touch me." Those wicked fingers of his… He twisted my nipple until I cried out. "I'm going to have you this time. I'm going to give you what I should have that day."

"Give me…" I couldn't even finish my sentence as I clenched on nothing.

"I'm going to slide my cock into this tight pink cunt of yours. I'm going to fuck you like I should have then. Claim you like you deserve to be claimed and have my mark lighting up your skin."

Will's words made me wail, my head tipping back. His fingers increased their speed, finding the rhythm and pressure I went wild for like an old pro. Unlike last time, I felt the press of his mind against mine, and I opened for him—it seemed that, with my permission, he still could speak to me telepathically. With much effort, I showed him everything I'd felt the last time we were alone together. I let him see how much I'd missed him and the gaping hole he'd left in my heart when he went away. I gave him everything.

The memory of the pleasure he'd given me in the cave had me close— so close —to tipping over into an orgasm. I rushed headlong toward it, chasing that high. Will kissed up my jaw and down to my neck until I could feel the sharp points of his teeth grazing against my pulse. Just as I was about to come, however, he stopped.

I screeched.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against my neck, pulling his fingers from my pussy. "Normally, I'd feast on this pretty cunt, but I can't wait."

"Huh?" was all I could ask before he was lowering me.

Will pulled me closer, one arm wrapped around my waist while the other grabbed my ass. He encouraged me to wrap my arms around him as he positioned my pussy over his cock, the broad head brushing against my entrance. In one smooth motion, he pressed me down onto him, filling me to the brim, and I cried out against his neck.

"Fuck, I missed this," he groaned, guiding my hips with his hands. "I've missed you."

His words tugged at something in my chest, but before I could think about it or focus on it, he shifted beneath me slightly. Now every movement of my hips ground my clit against his pubic bone, making me see stars. Each rock of my hips was more desperate than the last, and the sounds that erupted from my throat matched.

"You have the most perfect cunt, mate. I need you to come all over my cock. Let me feel you strangle me and milk me for every last ounce of cum I have," he rasped, the mark on his chest glowing as I sped up inhumanly fast, chasing that orgasm, wanting to give him exactly what he asked for.

His words failed him then. He couldn't make that honeyed tongue of his form coherent sounds as he looked into my eyes. The sense of power it gave me, knowing I was doing this to him, that I was making his eyes nearly roll back in his head and his hands grip at my body like he couldn't help himself…

Sinking into my powers, embracing my new body's strengths, I fucked him with everything I had. My skin prickled as I changed into my half-siren form, opalescent scales forming along the outside of my legs, and for once, I didn't care. It barely even registered.

Because I was close.

So fucking close.

My words hadn't failed me as I rode the hell out of the merman between my legs. All I could keep chanting was, "My… Will… my… Will…" over and over again. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through me, my pussy clamping down hard on Will's cock as I exploded in ecstasy.

In my passion, my teeth sharpened and sank into his collarbone, just like I'd done with Milo, the metallic taste of his blood filling my mouth. I hadn't meant to. The desire to leave my mark on him, to give him a scar to match our selkie's and mine, was just too much in that moment.

Even after my own orgasm subsided, I kept going. I locked eyes with Will, needing to feel him fill me with his seed, but my merman had other ideas. He shifted us so that I was on my back beneath him, staring up at his beautiful face.

His pace was slower this time, stroking in and out of me in hard, measured thrusts. This, combined with how intensely his gaze was locked with mine, made me feel like my chest was being cracked open. Like he could look into my very soul and see what was written on my heart. And a large part of me wanted to hide away from that, to protect myself from how he was making me feel, but I couldn't. I couldn't look away from him.

Will was a vision above me, a sea god. I squeezed his hips between my thighs and ran my fingers over the muscles of his abs, then up to his pecs, before cupping his cheeks. In that moment, my pleasure swelling and rising, I'd never loved this man more. I'd never wanted him more than in that moment.

"I love you," I whispered, my eyes welling with tears. "I love you, Will."

My confession tested the limits of his constraint as his pacing faltered. I pulled him down to my lips, kissing him. Uncaring that he was bleeding on me. Giving him every last bit of me that I didn't even have words for. I reached for him with my very soul.

Be mine.

Be mine.

Be mine.

I wasn't sure whether it was his thought or mine, but it made the tug in my chest more intense, as if my very heart was going to leave my body to give itself to him. And as his pace quickened, I pushed away any last hesitations, any uncertainty. I bared myself, my heart, my very soul to the man in my arms, and I cried. I sobbed, his name a litany upon my lips.

A year, I'd waited for him. A year, I'd had a hole in my heart, just waiting for him to come back and return it to me. I knew better now. I'd never get that piece back. It'd always be his to have and hold, to treasure. And in its place would be a piece of his heart in return, right next to Milo's, filling the empty space that once had been there.

My next orgasm came out of nowhere, my very being exploding into a billion pieces as sparks of light flashed between us. We were enveloped in it, bathed and warmed in it, and I lost myself in him. In everything that he was. In everything we were always meant to be.

Will unleashed himself upon me, finally letting go of his restraint. He pistoned his hips between my thighs as hard and as fast as he could, finally fucking me like the siren I was and not the human I had been. And when he came, he moaned, filling me to the brim with his seed until it was spilling out of me.

He collapsed atop of me, and I wrapped my arms around him, clinging to him as if this alone would keep all the pieces of our shattered and newly remade selves together. Our hearts pounded as one, slowing moment by moment to normal. I never wanted this to end. I wanted to stay in this moment forever, even if I couldn't stop crying in relief.

But Will moved, levering himself up onto one elbow to look down at me. And when I could see through my tears, I saw his mouth hanging open, like he was halfway to saying something. Those beautiful, stormy eyes were fastened to my chest with such awe in them as he brushed his fingers over that spot.

"You really want me," he whispered, tears gathering in his own eyes.

Tilting my head down, I saw for myself what had him so thunderstruck: there was a glowing mark there. I'd thought it'd be identical, but it wasn't at all. In fact, it looked like the marks on my chest were what I'd thought was missing from his and vice versa. There was no more blatant way to prove to me this was real, that he was my mate just as much as Milo was.

His explanation about merfolk mating floated through my mind: You have to want it for it to show up. You have to want the other person enough that your souls touch. And it struck me why he'd gotten so emotional: this was undeniable, physical proof of my desire to be with him, that it was more than pretty words that told him what he wanted to hear.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked deep into his eyes "I really do want you, Will. I love you."

With my admission, the floodgates opened. Will buried his face into my neck and cried with me, murmuring his disbelief, his gratitude, his love. I combed my hands through his hair, holding him just as tightly back, and thanked the Gods for giving me back my merman.