17. Blow Him Out of the Water

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

BLOW HIM OUT OF THE WATER

The Present: Trick in the pack house contemplating islands

Trick awoke the next morning and something was different. Something was filled that had been empty before. And not just his ass.

Sato.

Sato was there . Sleeping next to him in that quiet way that made him seem almost dead.

Trick was a restless sleeper. Often moving, flipping his pillow, and kicking off covers. Talking sometimes. When they were young, he’d once woken, confused by a sound. A glowering Sato had said, to his amusement, “You were giggling so hard you woke yourself up.”

He didn’t think he giggled in his sleep anymore. But he was still restless.

He rolled to his side, focused on Sato’s familiar face. It was less severe when he slept, but often still scowling. Patrick had studied him like this a thousand times and never got tired of it.

Sato was so still. Patrick put a finger below his nose to check his breathing.

Sato smiled without opening his eyes, as if Trick’s hand near his face was all it took. Air currents, like water, activating his senses into wakefulness.

“I’m starving,” said Sato, eyes still closed, reaching out and gathering Patrick to him. Patrick was self-conscious, feeling sticky and crusty. They both smelled of sleep and sex. They were surrounded by werewolves with powerful supernatural noses. Everyone would know what had happened. Would they think of him as weak, having let Sato back into his bed? Was he weak?

But he also felt warm and loved in that way he’d only ever gotten from Sato. Like he was the center of something. With Sato he wasn’t on the fringes. He wasn’t cared for out of pity like some kind of cute stray. Sato had always made him feel utterly wanted. When they were kids, before they became boyfriends, it had been like that. Right up until the moment Sato hadn’t come back. Trick had been secure and confident in just that one thing: Sato wanted to be with him. Sato wanted him. More than he wanted anything else. Perhaps that’s why it had hurt so much when he didn’t come back. A sign not that Sato didn’t want him anymore, but that he didn’t want him enough. Patrick had been unwanted by everyone his whole childhood, except Sato.

Knowing it had been circumstances and disaster that separated them helped. But accepting that Sato had wanted him and had eventually found him, just been delayed? That reset Trick’s universe. Sato hadn’t stopped wanting and hunting.

He, Patrick, had been enough. Was still the center of Sato’s focus. Was Sato’s most wanted person. Trick hadn’t felt wanted like that in a long time. Since he’d been Patrick.

“Let’s get you some food, then.” Trick made a pathetic attempt to leave the bed.

“Not Katsu.” Sato rubbed Trick’s back from nape to ass in long, strong strokes, power-petting to keep him from going anywhere.

“Certainly not. But we should shower first. Werewolf sniffers, you understand?”

Sato buried his own nose in Trick’s neck. “Okay. But maybe a swim after food? I miss swimming with you.”

“You do? But you had your own people to swim with.”

“I missed you . Otters play. You’re fun.”

“I’ve taken to stealing surfboards. The humans get so confused when an otter absconds with their board and then catches the next big wave.” He grinned.

“Of course that’s what you’d do.”

“There have been articles about me in the local paper. They don’t realize I’m a shifter, of course. Much funnier that way.”

“Uh huh.” Sato’s webbed fingers began combing through Trick’s hair.

“I missed swimming with you too,” Trick admitted, finally.

Sato’s stomach growled audibly.

“Okay, let’s shower and eat first.” Trick started to rise, but Sato wouldn’t let him go.

“You know, you were the first person to take care of me, in my whole life.” Sato said it like he was still surprised.

Trick thought that was preposterous. His memories were all of Sato taking care of him, pulling him out of some pickle or another. That time he got trapped in the swimming pool. That fight at the house party. Countless other incidents where it was Sato picking him up, dusting him off, giving him a piggyback ride. Sato standing between Patrick and his family. Sato defending Patrick against violent humans or anything else the world threw at him.

“Silly merman. You were always my guardian.”

Sato opened his eyes, dark and serious. Frustrated. “That’s not what I mean. Not that kind of taking care . You’re my home. You can’t offer it up and then retract it again. Please?”

It was awfully early in the morning for Sato to confess a fear of such magnitude.

Sato was scared of him running away again. Patrick had never run from Sato before, and now Sato, the unflappable, was shaken and unsure.

“I like it here. I’m going to stay here.” That was as much as Trick was willing to admit to right now.

Sato breathed out slowly. “If this is where I will be able to find you, then this is where I stop.”

There was no time to really talk about that statement, because Colin knocked on the door.

“Hey, guys?”

“You can come in,” said Trick, “but it stinks. Be warned.”

Despite the warning, Colin’s nose wrinkled as he stuck his head inside. “There’s a large contingent of semi-naked mermaids in our den, all pretty annoyed and looking for Sato. Frankly, we’re at a bit of a loss what to do with them.”

“Oh, shit.” Patrick whacked Sato’s naked shoulder. “The marine biology conference starts today.”

Colin sneezed. “You have time to shower first. Don’t get distracted, though.”

“I recommend feeding them,” suggested Trick.

“Of course we’re feeding them! We aren’t monsters,” replied Colin, offended.

The Present: Sato coping with other people

If the size of the facilities were anything to go by, werewolves were obsessed with showering. Odd wolf behavior. Still, this meant Sato got to shower with Patrick so it wasn’t that bad. He didn’t want to let him go and he couldn’t stop touching him.

“We’ll need to part for the day, Sato.”

Sato couldn’t stop the involuntary whine.

“You have vangill duties at a marine biology conference. Remember?”

“Not gonna do that anymore.”

Patrick tutted at him. “It’ll be good for you. Patch things up with your sister.”

“Patch? Why patch?”

“She’s still your sister. And you dealt her a blow saying you’re leaving out of the blue like that. There’s no need to be so abrupt about it. Saturdays are busy at the cafe. I don’t want you hanging out there getting in trouble with my regulars. They keep grudges. Not to mention the news people coming in and causing a fuss. You’re a local hero, remember.”

It made sense but Sato wasn’t happy about it. “You’ll be here when we get back?”

“Yes,” said Patrick, voice firm. Sato believed him.

If Patrick wanted him to trot around after his sister one last time, Sato would do it. Especially if Patrick was occupied with other things. He remembered the one time he’d visited Patrick in that tiny cafe back in their hometown. Patrick had been good at it. Cafe-ing.

They exited the shower and dried off.

“No time for that swim this morning?” Sato pressed, hopeful.

Patrick hissed his upper arm. “No time.”

Tonight , Sato vowed to himself. He would come back. Patrick would definitely be waiting. It would be okay. They would be together again. Only a few hours this time. It was hard to convince himself not to cling.

Patrick fluffed his short hair vigorously. “Saturday mornings are the one time of the week the owner actually comes to the cafe. It’s good for him to experience the pressure and the rush. Reminds him how necessary I am.”

“You have a boss?” Sato took the towel away from him and used it to gently pat at Patrick’s hair.

“Only just.” Patrick submitted to his ministrations without protest.

Downstairs everyone was barely coping with mermaids in their midst. The big red-headed enforcer was trying to flirt and failing miserably. Marvin and his friend, the smaller redhead, were watching this with amusement. Because he’d been a threat, Sato remembered the big one was called Kevin. The smaller one had been shopping with him. He struggled to recall his name. Oh right, Colin. Tank, the biggest and apparently quietest of the pack, was also watching but with ill-disguised horror. Sato remembered his name because it suited him.

Alec and Judd were attempting to ignore them all and talking quietly in one corner over a laptop.

A smaller werewolf with a smiley face was puttering around in the kitchen with much greater efficiency than Sato. He was singing softly and cooking something fishy-smelling that made Sato’s stomach growl even louder.

Patrick sniffed. “Kippers?” He looked over at Marvin and his friend. “You can get kippers in California?”

“Lovejoy is magic,” said Colin, going into the kitchen himself.

Sato asked, “What are kippers ?”

Patrick said, “A UK thing. I think. I had them at this random British pub in the middle of Arizona once. They’re yummy.”

The kitchen werewolf, overhearing this, smiled even bigger. He finished whatever he was doing with the frying pan and then brought a large pile of browned, flat fish on a platter to the table. He put a stack of plates and bowls nearby plus some forks, chopsticks, and spoons, then returned to the kitchen. Colin followed, carrying a big pot of something. Then kitchen werewolf again, this time with a tray of lots of little filled bowls. One of them looked like seaweed.

“Congee and toppings,” explained kitchen werewolf. “Breakfast of champions.” He undid his apron, glanced over at the mermaids in the den. “I made it with shrimp broth and fish sauce, so you should like it. Make sure everything is spotless before you leave. I’m off.” He included the mermaids in his instructions. Sato was amused. He’d never seen a mermaid clean anything. Ever. Dishes were going to be hilarious.

Patrick went to sit at the big table and Sato dutifully followed, taking the seat right next to him. Pleased and honored at having gotten it.

“Where are you going?” Cascade asked the kitchen werewolf, genuinely curious.

“Food truck has the Farmer’s Market at Larkspur Landing this morning.”

Cascade only looked more confused.

“You ate, Lovejoy?” questioned Alec, before his kitchen werewolf could leave.

“While I was cooking, Alpha. Don’t worry.”

Sato served Patrick a bowl of the congee, which was some kind of white goo, then himself.

“Good luck today and thank you for breakfast,” replied Alec politely.

Sato passed Patrick a spoon and chopsticks. They were both longer and fatter than the kind he’d grown up with. Patrick was busy paying attention to the conversation rather than the food.

“My pleasure.” The kitchen werewolf waved at the mermaids. “Hope you like it.”

Aqua, who had been trained in some human social niceties, said, “I’m sure we will. Thank you for doing the hunting.”

The kitchen werewolf grinned. “Oh, sure. I went out and slayed the wild kipper just for you.”

The pod looked collectively confused. “You went swimming this morning, wolf?”

“I hunted them down in the wilderness that is our spare freezer.”

“Freezer?”

“Icebox,” suggested Colin.

“Thank you for… cooking?” suggested Meymey to avoid any further fruitless side conversation.

Sato hid a smile. No doubt she was wondering why the werewolves bothered to cook at all. Merfolk, after all, ate their food raw.

He nudged Patrick. “Eat.”

Patrick blinked in surprise at the serving in front of him. “When did you…?”

Sato pushed the tray of condiments over to him. Watched with interest which ones Patrick selected with his chopsticks. Sato served himself the same. Two of them were seaweed. Sato let out a breath of relief. He knew he’d like that part.

“Itadakimasu,” he said, bringing his hands together as sire had taught him.

Patrick, unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile, said the same.

It actually wasn’t bad. Salty and fishy like the sea, but thick and warm and nourishing.

“This is nice,” he said to Patrick, in surprise. Not sure about the texture, but liking the flavor.

“Right?” Patrick bounced a little in his chair in excitement. “Lovejoy is a great cook. He makes this one dish, Moo Palo. It’s my favorite.”

Sato wondered if Patrick liked it better than his sire’s katsu but didn’t want to remind him of last night’s catastrophe, so he stayed silent and ate his congee.

Patrick broke a kipper in two, placed half of it on the side of his bowl, the other on Sato’s.

Sato tried not to preen at the attention. He took a small bite.

“Oh!” he said, surprised. “Yum!”

The mermaids, overhearing Sato’s approval, no doubt, all moved in a colorful gaggle to the big table. Rilian was wearing heels and tripped over the step up from the living area to the dining area.

There was much scraping of chairs while they sat. The werewolves winced at the noise.

Kevin joined them. “Let me show you, ladies.” He served himself congee, added toppings from the little bowls, then used a fork to drape one of the kippers over it all.

Marvin waltzed over and ostentatiously did the same, only using chopsticks instead of a fork.

After only a slight hesitation, all the mermaids imitated this action, using forks. Then dutifully all sat around the table and began eating, with spoons.

Patrick said, well under his breath, “Thank goodness they didn’t opt for chopsticks.”

“Can werewolves use chopsticks?” wondered Sato. Who had always felt his webbing gave him an advantage in that regard. Patrick was adept because otters were naturally dexterous.

“Werewolves will use anything to get as much food into their mouths as possible. I assume this pod can’t chop a stick?” answered Patrick.

“Not that I’m aware. It’s never come up.”

It was a hallmark of their youth together that Sato and Patrick had learned to use chopsticks. Sato winced, remembering the sharp sting on the back of his hand when his sire whacked it with his own chopsticks to correct Sato’s mistake. “Further back!” He could still hear sire’s strict tone. “You’re holding them too close to the tip.” Patrick had mastered the skill way faster than Sato, who never understood why utensils were needed in the first place. Because of heat, presumably. Why cook things? It only complicated matters.

Meymey was not participating in the congee experiment with the rest of the pod. Instead she was standing next to Sato at the end of the table, arms crossed, staring down at him.

She had a look on her face that Sato had learned to be wary of. It was all stubborn petulance and self-righteousness. Little sister was annoyed with him.

She gestured at Patrick. “This is the reason, isn’t it? The reason you are the way you are? A dratsie! Of all creatures.”

Patrick looked up at her, chewed his kipper, unperturbed.

Sato stopped eating. “Yes. He’s the reason.” Sato wasn’t going to deny anything. No point.

“Now you’ve found him, will you return to normal?”

“He is normal, for me.”

“You can’t tell me you intend to keep him.”

“I intend to keep him. Or, given his residence here, I suspect he will be keeping me. Right?” he looked at Patrick’s sweet, familiar face.

Patrick was looking smug. Sato loved that look. Patrick knew what it meant for a merman to challenge the matriarchy. And one of the Soteria. And a sister who ruled a pod. At least, Sato hoped Patrick understood what this meant. The importance. The ramifications.

“Wait. What? You intend to stay here, in this dirty bay? In this dry box full of werewolves?”

“There is no intend .”

“The Deep will not allow it.” Meymey sounded very young and very sure of herself.

Sato wasn’t going to play into her fantasy. “You already agreed the Deep has ceded authority over these waters to this Alpha.” He gestured with his hand at Alec, who looked up from the laptop.

“Why are you involving me in your family drama?” the Alpha whined. Then noticed the table. “Oh, right. Breakfast.” He shut the laptop, stood, and stretched.

Meymey didn’t even acknowledge him. She was blinking at her brother in shock. He’d never directly challenged her before. He’d had no reason to do so. “Water rights are not the point here, Daidai. You are a vangill , you belong to the Deep.”

“No. I belong to myself . It is the only right a merman truly has – solitary autonomy.”

“Not the vangill , Daidai.” She was so sure of herself. And so very wrong.

Judd wandered over, looking quite fierce. “He is your slave?”

Alec walked over too. Face concerned.

All the mermaids were staring at them. But they kept eating.

Meymey looked uncomfortable. She knew she had no power over the werewolves and she was embedded in their den. Plus Sato hadn’t stood to protect her as he once would have. Spurs ready. No, Sato stayed sitting next to his dratsie.

Meymey admitted, “Well, no, not exactly. But he was trained by us to use his spurs, so he owes us his service.”

“Indenture?” Judd continued to frown, suspicious.

Aqua, sensing a diplomatic incident in the making, abandoned her kipper and said, “Now, now, Alpha, I’m sure she doesn’t mean that. You know English isn’t her first language.”

Sato studied his sister’s face. It was full of confusion and pride and embarrassment, that her vangill was misbehaving right now in front of everyone. “Let me be clear, little sister. I have served my time and then some. Before I came to serve you, I was already free. Have you any idea how many favors are owed the Deep because of my actions a decade ago? No. I chose to guard the Paralia. You did not choose me.”

“I don’t understand.” Suddenly Meymey looked forlorn and young. But Sato knew that manipulation tactic of hers all too well. It tugged on his heartstrings, what few he had, but he wasn’t going to let it work.

“The Navarch’s word is on it. You may ask him.” He should reach out to the Navarch anyway. Invite him for a visit. Get Patrick to hook him up with someone. He had made a promise, once. “I am sorry little sister, but you are failing to understand why I was with you at all.”

Sato curved his hand around Patrick’s shoulder. “He’s the reason . My reason. He’s why I stayed with you. So I could go to land. So I could keep looking for him. He’s the reason I completed vangill training at all . So I could go back, unfettered by the demands of the Deep. So I could protect him. He’s my spurs. He’s why they happen. I can be recalled to serve under only two circumstances now, war and natural disaster. This is neither.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said Patrick, cheeky like he used to be when they were kids, “I’ve always considered myself a bit of a natural disaster.”

“Yes, trouble,” Sato tapped him under the chin with one finger.

Meymey sighed and looked away from their intimacy, as if it pained her. “I remember. This is your cuter half, Daidai?”

“Yes. He’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”

“Not even me?”

“Of course I care for you. But you are the Paralia of All Seas. You’ll get a new vangill. One more willing to stud, no doubt. You’ll be fine without me. But this is Patrick. My Patrick.”

“He seems to have been fine without you too.” She gestured to the pack. All of those who were downstairs were now on alert because Alec was standing and tense.

“But I am not fine without Patrick,” Sato pushed back. He might not need her to understand why he was leaving her, but he needed her to accept that he was. Sometimes, that was the same thing. “Meymey, this is not a decision you can make, nor is it a situation you can challenge. It just is. Like the tides. You must accept it.”

His sister did not look convinced. She was used to getting what she wanted. She was used to him being by her side.

Sato turned back to his food. Picked up his chopsticks. Holding them delicately near the ends, as his sire had instructed him.

It really was tasty.

Marvin looked pointedly at Meymey, who found an empty chair and was finally sitting down. Marvin’s bowl was already empty. Fast eater. Most merfolk were. Survival trait. “So your brother’s life was in crisis last night and you went sightseeing at a lesbian bar?”

“Can you think of a better thing to do?” Meymey bit into a piece of kipper, looked impressed. Scarfed the whole thing.

“That’s a very lesbian attitude. Ms Trickle must be so proud.”

Meymey fluttered her hands in mermaid agreement. “She’s pretty great, for a kelpie. Sexy voice. Beautiful,” she paused, looking nervously around, “uh, fingers.”

Marvin grinned. “And that was even more lesbian.”

Meymey said, “It’s not like I could help Daidai with whatever was freaking him out and causing him to fight a bear. I mean, I tried, but isn’t that his problem?”

Alec sat down in one of the few free chairs, some distance away from his mate. “Are merwomen always like this?”

Marvin grinned. “Pretty much. So, Paralia, how was it last night? Did you find yourself a nice hot butch or king or stud or…?”

Meymey was intrigued. “Stud? One of the humans of that kelpie’s club could get me pregnant? That sounds like fun.”

“I’m sure they’d be willing to try.” Marvin was almost as cheeky as Patrick. No wonder they got along.

Colin took pity on Meymey. “It’s not quite the same kind of stud .”

Alec looked over at Sato. “Speaking of which, you said willing to stud . Does that mean sire children?”

Marvin said, “I thought I explained. Mermen with spurs, like our new friend here, are genetically superior to the rest of us boys with tails in many ways, including procreative. Merman like me are sterile, ones like him are not.” He arched thin blond brows. “He’s potent .”

“Must be challenging, if you’re gay,” suggested Kevin.

“Tell me about it,” said Sato, with feeling.

Aqua said, “Wait a second, you never slept with any of us. Not one. Not even outside of the diplomatic pod or the Soteria?”

Sato didn’t feel the need to answer that.

“What a fucking waste,” said Rilian.

“ Lack of fucking , so that would be a not-fucking waste,” corrected Marvin, clearly amused with himself.

Aqua looked at Meymey. “But doesn’t he have to?”

“Sire children?” Meymey frowned, her mind no doubt scrolling through the oral histories of the sea people. Sato had already challenged her once. She didn’t want to be shamed again. And this wasn’t her jurisdiction. Technically, the physical health and well-being of merfolk, including their longevity as a species, was the provenance of the Anax, not the Paralia. Sato knew that part well. He’d asked.

“The Klepsydra would know for certain, but I believe it is a social obligation, not a mandate,” she said, after a long moment. Not wanting to cede the point. “One that most vangill perform willingly.”

Kevin grinned. “Speaking as the only straight man in the room, fuck, yeah.”

Colin glared at his brother. “Why are you like this?”

Alec said, to forestall further brotherly annoyances, “It’s about that time, everyone. Conference is opening soon. I’m giving a talk at noon and I need to get there well before to socialize first. Judd, who is coming with us for protection?”

Judd said, “Me, Kevin, Tank. I think that should be enough. Colin, you can stay behind. We don’t need tech support this time. Isaac is still asleep. Can’t imagine we’ll need him.”

“Doubt it,” said Tank. “Let him rest.”

“Rough night?”

“Very inebriated, very distressed bear shifter at the club.” Tank glanced over at Sato and Patrick. “Surprise, surprise.”

Judd tilted his head. “But you’re okay? Enough sleep?”

Tank lowered his gaze. “I’m fine.”

Judd took him at his word. “So yeah, three’s enough. We’ll stick with the mermaids as a group.” He looked over at Sato. “You don’t anticipate major issues, do you, vangill?”

Sato cocked his head, “Define issues .”

Marvin said, “Have you ever been around mermaids let loose on a human population? In this case, dorky scientists? There’s bound to be carnage.”

Alec tensed.

“Not that kind, sweetie. Bloodbath in the broken hearts kind of way.”

Judd sighed at Marvin’s theatrics. “Let me put it another way. Is anything going to happen that requires more than three very large, highly trained, werewolf bodyguards?”

Sato imagined that the werewolves, especially Kevin, might be more of a hindrance to mermaid activities than a help. But it was sweet of them to try.

Marvin was grinning. “It’s not an ideal ratio. That’s one wolf for every four mermaids.”

“What am I, chopped liver? I’m there too, remember?” protested Alec. The Alpha.

Marvin came around the table and gave his lover a smacking kiss on the cheek. “You’re just there for decoration, babes.”

“Alpha, you know how you get at conferences. All focused and nervous about your presentation. Distracted by scientific data and philosophical quandaries,” explained Judd, patiently.

“You drop things,” said Kevin.

“You lose track of time,” added his brother.

“And repeat yourself.” That was Tank.

“It’s adorable,” said Marvin, with another smooch to the other cheek. “But I can’t stay to watch this time, gotta go, do…” he paused, “something fabulous and nothing to do with screamingly dull indoor convention centers and human scientists.” He shuddered. “Bathe in sequins or something. I wonder what Mana is up to today.”

“I’ve never understood that saying. I mean, chopped liver is delicious,” said Colin softly, almost to himself.

Marvin looked at him. “You coming with me in pursuit of sequins and drag queens?”

Colin stood with alacrity. “Why not? But we are doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen first.”

Marvin sighed dramatically. “This life I lead as a lost princess entrapped by wolves is so arduous.”

“Come along, Cinderella, you can wear the pink ruffled dish gloves.”