Chapter 27 Grayson
Grayson
“Are you two good?” Something’s off with them. Sure, they’re both used to getting their own way. They both growl more than is reasonably necessary and it makes me want to swim into a pod of orca at least once a month. But this is different.
“I’m good,” Forrest says, standing.
“Good. You didn’t change?” The purple suit’s a bit much, but . . . on the scale of things we’re doing wrong, it’s not even on the chart.
“No, I didn’t. We’ll see you out there.” Forrest waves as he leaves.
“Can’t wait,” Sterling growls. “Aren’t you going too?”
“Yeah. There’s a male named Hunter in the living room who says he’s part of your team.”
“Yes.” Sterling flips through the trousers in his closet, considering each pair before turning around to glare at me. Either he doesn’t care what he looks like for Blair or it’s the worst stalling technique around.
“Is he going to stay here the whole time she’s here?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t think the seven of us are enough protection?”
Sterling moves to the bathroom and runs his fingers through his brown hair.
He’s fixing his hair? Maybe we don’t have anything to worry about after all.
“I think I’m more than enough to keep her safe.
But Atlas has decreed that someone from the team has to be with her at all times when she’s not with the Portsmouth pod males.
He called me to the palace after the school program. ”
“With what cause?” I’m not going to say it—that Atlas thinks Sterling’s off his game.
“There’ve been some rumblings that me being assigned to Blair has given our pod an unfair advantage.”
“So now she has a bodyguard?”
“Yes.” Sterling raises his eyebrow at me. “Anything else you want to know?”
“No . . . That’s straightforward.”
“Shocking. A security agent from the palace who’s straightforward. Especially one from Atlas.”
I nod. There are a lot of people who think Atlas’s time as king should be cut short, but not everyone is excited for the next king. One from Glyden. Castor Portsmouth being the most likely. “Let’s see if the kitchen can find a nice plate for your agent,” I say.
Sterling grunts and speeds down the corridor in front of me.
“I’ll be right there,” I say to Sterling’s back.
When I get there, Blair’s perched on the edge of the sofa, Zion on one side, Alexei on the other.
Forrest and Sterling sit in the chairs across from her while Clark and Delmar are on the love seat.
Hunter’s standing awkwardly in the foyer right outside the living room, facing the elevator.
Rodgers is right behind me with a mounded plate of food, and a small table has been set up inside the alcove next to the Foyer.
“Everyone’s here. I think this is a first,” Blair says, taking a small sip of her drink.
Which thankfully is in a tall tumbler, not a teacup.
“Your home is really lovely. The last time I was here, I was out of sorts. And everything is kind of a blur in my memory. I’m . . . That’s never happened before.”
“Being stuck in a glass elevator with no way to get out? I should hope not,” Clark says.
“Honestly, I never use that thing, and I can shift.” Zion puts his hand on her arm, and she slides back into the sofa.
“Well, thank you. I was a bit nervous coming over. The elevator and everything. I . . . I’m not . . . I’m not . . . Shoot, I don’t know how to say—”
“You don’t have to say anything you’re not comfortable with.” Delmar leans forward.
“Thank you. But I want to say it. It’s really flattering that you all—well, as a pod—have decided to date me.”
My stomach flips, waiting for her to say more.
“I’m really drawn to all of you. I’ve never done what I did the other day here.
And I don’t mean having a breakdown. Though I’ve never done that either.
I had Marlee when I was still in high school, or rather a few months after I graduated from high school.
But I’d known my ex my entire life.” Her lips twist. “Really, I should have known better than to ever have done anything with him, but that’s another story.
What I’m trying to say is I’m really drawn to all of you, and I want to see where this could go.
I’m not promising anything, though. And .
. . and as much as it pains me, and isn’t really in alignment with who I am, they say that if I don’t at least meet with a few other pods, it will be difficult politically later if I do decide to mate with you.
That the city runs on gossip and hearsay, and growing up in a little town, those are two things I know an awful lot about.
I didn’t think it would be the same with a city of over half a million people.
But people are people, and I imagine it’s the same as a celebrity magazine or one of those tabloid shows. ”
I have no idea what she’s talking about, but Alexei is nodding like she’s making sense.
“I didn’t want to wait until the end of dinner to drop this bomb on you all. I wanted to rip the Band-Aid off so we could talk about it if you all feel that we should.”
“I’m not worried about any other pods being able to fill your heart the way we can, Blair,” Zion says. He runs his fingers down the side of her forearm to where the sleeve of her blue tunic pools on her lap.
“I’m glad. Because everything I’ve seen of you all, I really like.” She smiles back.
“The same goes for us,” I say. I prop myself on the edge of the sofa next to Zion.
“Okay, I feel better having said that.” She leans even farther back into the sofa.
I understand, but it sits like an anchor in my gut.
Are there other pods besides the Driftwood and Staal pods that are showing their interest?
How many does she feel the need to talk to before she comes back around to us?
And is it truly something someone told her about the politics of the Veiled City, or is it her preference to search elsewhere while keeping her options open?
That’s the thing: mermaids always keep their options open.
Most mermaids are extremely calculating about whom they mate.
Especially their first mate. And the lot of us?
We’re a package deal. If she can’t stand Forrest’s insomnia or Sterling’s lack of emotion beyond a good grunt .
. . or Delmar’s over-optimism—that’s something to hate.
Clark’s workaholic-ism. All of us have issues.
Though I’m sure one of the Staal mates must snore.
And there she would have small podlets to raise.
The Driftwood pod, though . . . There’s only four of them. They have as much money as us, maybe more. Kade Driftwood has a great deal of clout. And a lot of them are only a few years older than Blair.
“You mentioned the Fourth of July at the school. What special things did you do at home to celebrate it?” Alexei asks.
Her face lights up. “Oh, it’s the best. The day starts bright and early at the country store.
People gather around for a free breakfast. There’s a bunch of people playing folk songs on their guitars.
Then a trumpet player plays the national anthem and we sing.
And it’s followed up by the reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Afterwards, my friend from grade school calls her aunt in England and we jeer at her.
We’re just joking, of course, but it gets you riled up.
Then we have a big picnic lunch on the farm, and after we put the animals away, we drive out to watch the fireworks in the next town over.
Marlee, Annabelle, and me. My brother and ex would head to bed.
Cows and pigs don’t know when there’s a holiday.
That made it even more fun. Being just us girls. ”
“I’ve heard of fireworks but never seen them,” Delmar says.
“Oh, they’re nice. But it’s more the ritual of going to see them than the actual fireworks. Having the whole crowd ooh and ahh together. It makes you feel like you belong.”
“Young males will swim out to volcanic vents when they are softly erupting. That’s like what you’re describing?” Sterling says.
“Um, that sounds terrifying. Couldn’t they get hurt?” Blair says.
“Perhaps, but conquering their fear provides a bonding experience like that of your fireworks,” Sterling says.
Blair blinks and then nods. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Being part of a group is powerful. Sometimes not the brightest thing to do, but powerful, nevertheless.”
Sterling leans back in his chair and crosses his legs. That was more than I’ve heard from him in a long time, especially in front of someone who’s not a pod mate. Forrest is outright gawking at him.
“Being part of a pod makes me feel that way a lot of the time. Having my pod brothers that I know I can count on . . . It’s changed my life,” Delmar says.
Alexei leans toward Blair. “Do you have questions for us? About being in a pod or about the Veiled City?”
“Yes, Alexei is very helpful,” Zion says in exasperation.
And now I can’t help but wonder if the reason she’s looking into getting to know other pods has anything to do with what Alexei said at the school. Having him help another pod with the word for dating was certainly frustrating. Then again, it’s not like the Staal pod wasn’t already interested.
“There’s a lot I don’t know. Then there’s so much I don’t know I don’t know.
I’m talking in circles. When we first decided to get pigs on the farm, I did some research as to how and what we would need to take care of them.
I thought I had it all figured out. But there are some things you just can’t know to even ask until you have some real experience under your belt.
Like how stubborn they can be when they don’t want to move.
They’re worse than a mule. I knew they could dig, but they love to tunnel under fences.
There is no such thing as a clean pig pen.
The second you clean it, they make a mess.
And most of all, I didn’t realize how much fun they were to watch and how they would each have their own personality.
It’s one of the reasons we never expanded into being pig farmers.
I just couldn’t do it. Sorry. I could go on about them for a long time. ”
“No need to be sorry. It’s fascinating,” Delmar says. He’s got stars in his eyes.
“Oh, I don’t know about fascinating.” She laughs.
“Would you like to go see the farming domes? I know you said you don’t want to be a farmer in the Veiled City.” Zion takes her hand in his. Being jealous of your pod mate isn’t supposed to happen, but right now I very much am.
“If you don’t want to do that, there’s so many amazing things to see. The museum of Adelphi is behind the new Maelstrom dome,” Alexei says.
“The new Maelstrom will be open soon,” Forrest adds.
“Or the financial district,” Zion adds.
Clark smiles at her. “I would love to give you a tour of the new dome of mine that’s going up.”
“When you helped treat Zion,” says Grayson, “I was wondering whether you would like to see some of the other advances we have at the hospital.”
“Wow, that’s a lot. And yes to all.” Her eyes flick to Sterling, but he doesn’t suggest any outings.
Which isn’t surprising. What would Sterling want to do?
Take her to the gym? The fact that he said anything earlier is more shocking.
Blair turns to me. “I’d really like to see the hospital. Is that weird?”
“It’s not weird at all,” I say. I need to curb my thoughts. Showing Blair all the quiet, out-of-the-way spaces where we could steal a kiss isn’t what she’s asking for.