Chapter Eleven #2
“The ship capsized.” Nick’s fingers tightened on the cup, but he didn’t look away from Kit even as a heavy weight settled in his stomach.
“My whole family was at the house. I tried to stop those men, and it was the most incompetent thing I’ve ever done in my life.
” Shame tightened his throat into a knot.
“I had been such a shit to him too. His mom was horrible to him, and I saw that, and I saw that there was good in him—these little glimmers that, despite his best efforts, always shone through. I ignored it. I refused to see that there was a reason he would lash out the way he did.”
Kit’s tail stilled mid-air. He watched Nick intently.
Nick let his gaze wander from Kit’s face to his tail. The lean and black weapon was like a direct line to Kit’s emotional state. Despite its strength, there was something vulnerable about how revealing it was. The race of kits was clearly not born to deceive.
“He’s fine,” Nick said. “His boyfriend’s a merman, and he rescued him when the ship went down.
But, the, uh, sleeping thing.” Kit’s tail swayed towards Nick until the tufts were brushing against his shins.
Comfort, Nick understood. “I let him down. Emotionally. Physically.” The little tufts travelled up and brushed against Nick’s knuckles.
“So I can’t sleep. When I’m at home, I check that every window and door is locked at least half a dozen times.
When I’m living away at college, I do the same for my roommates while worrying about my family at home because I know that they don’t.
” Nick breathed out hard. “We live in such a safe area that people don’t even lock their doors when they leave the house. ”
Kit sat next to Nick on the bed and leaned against him. Nick shut his eyes, not complaining even as Kit’s tongue slid over his temple. From his chest came that purring sound. Nick understood it meant comfort, and that this time it was for his comfort, and not Kit’s.
“I made Jasper close the veranda door. And I checked that my dad’s veranda was locked too, and when I still couldn’t sleep, I went to double-check that the guard was going to be there all night.
” Nick shut his other eye as Kit cupped his cheek and pulled his face towards him, licking the bridge of his nose.
“Where I found you. So, I’m going to resign myself to never sleeping again because knowing that I’m overthinking is one thing—mm.
” Kit’s tongue slid over his top lip. “Being justified in acting so crazy is straight up—mm.” Kit’s tongue slid over his bottom lip, breath warm across Nick’s face. “Ridiculous.”
Kit’s purr was broken by a wounded sound from deep in his throat, all of his body pleading sorry. The musky scent from yesterday filled Nick’s nose, and Kit’s tail slid round and round until it was winding all the way up Nick’s forearm, the end sliding beneath the sleeve of his shirt.
The door opened.
Kit jumped, head knocking into Nick’s, and his tail tightened like a vice on his arm.
Nick bit back a curse as hot tea spilled over his thigh.
Kit leapt to his feet, and Nick opened his eyes to see Kit’s caught-out, guilty expression as he swung to the door.
Anna stood there, Mini in her grip, caught by the scruff.
Anna raised a hand to her nose, and Mini did the same but with both hands.
“Jesus, Kit,” Anna said.
Nick’s inner wrist burned. Wrong, he thought. There was no way Anna had just used ‘Jesus’ as a curse. The translation was doing an approximate job? So that Nick understood the meaning?
Kit’s guilty expression transformed into a defensive glare. “I’m your captain, and aunt or not, you’ll show me the proper respect –”
“Did you pee on him?” Anna asked, and Nick doubted that was the level of respect Kit was demanding.
Kit growled, flashing his teeth. Anna raised an eyebrow. Mini was turning purple. He dropped his hands and gasped in a sharp breath. “I can’t!” He turned on his heels and broke away from Anna to sprint away. “Stinks!” his high-pitched voice called behind him.
“Kit,” Anna said. “Open that window, and I will willingly give you the painkillers I just caught your shadow trying to steal.”
Kit glared, but Anna cocked an eyebrow and weathered it.
With a silent snarl, Kit took a step towards the window, jerking Nick along with him.
“Ah…” Kit’s angry look vanished. Feathered tufts quivered in apology as Kit unwound his tail from Nick’s arm.
He ran a gloved hand over Nick’s forearm, pushing up his sleeve as he went, checking for bruises.
His tail’s twitching relaxed into a swish when he found none.
Kit’s anger was gone as he went to the porthole and pushed it open.
Nick subtly smelled the side that Kit had been pressed against but didn’t find anything so abhorrent as to have Mini holding his breath till he turned purple. There was that musk, but it was a pleasant male and ochre scent that Nick couldn’t fathom anyone finding offensive.
Anna and Kit were staring off, oblivious to his confusion.
“I would come in, but…” Anna’s smile was wan. “I’d have to puke after.”
Kit’s tail slashed through the air, all irritation.
He was back to glaring at her. “Painkillers,” he barked out.
“If it’s so awful in here, feel free to throw them.
” The tone of voice was one Nick recognised as being reserved for family.
Petulant, annoyed, yet demanding at the same time.
Anna lobbed whatever she’d been carrying right at Kit’s head. He caught it with ease.
“Too much of those and he’ll be dependent,” Anna said. But her tail cut in Nick’s direction—she was saying it for him to hear too.
Kit’s shoulders hunched. “His headaches persist,” he insisted. “And a few more days will cause no harm.”
“I’ll leave this open,” Anna said. “You won’t be able to drag the kids into the room otherwise, and I hear they’re busy bees this morning. Captain Hin came by to complain about you stealing his repairman to play with children?”
“Olis is my man.”
“Apparently, Captain Hin is still repairing the damage that the merman did to the boards.”
Nick’s head snapped up.
The sharp movement caught the attention of both Kit and Anna.
Kit’s tail moved to float around his own legs without actually touching them.
There was an odd defensiveness in the gesture.
Yet when Nick met his eyes, Kit didn’t shy away.
“They were damaged the night of the party. There have been no merfolk in pursuit of us,” he explained.
Nick’s racing heart settled, and he sighed. “Adonis had a temper tantrum. He’s a certified brat.”
Anna’s eyes widened, as if Nick had said something outrageous, but Kit’s look turned troubled.
“I’m not sure I’d be so casual, calling the monarch’s mate a brat, personally,” she said. “Though, I suppose I’m not too surprised after hearing the curses you spat at Lady Desre.” She cast him a conspiratorial smile, but Nick just stared at her, confused.
Monarch’s mate?