Chapter 30
Iknow Caspian will be fine, but my heart still plummets as he drops out of view. Phoenix takes the i'xal out of his pocket and rubs his thumb over it in a nervous motion. Apart from today, I haven’t spent much time with him, but I get the impression he doesn’t enjoy staying still or waiting.
Hunter comes up behind us and places one hand on my shoulder and one on Phoenix’s. The weight calms the jittery feeling in my gut.
“He’ll be fine,” Hunter says, but he doesn’t take his eyes off the hole either.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot movement on the beach and turn to look.
I don’t want anyone to see Caspian when he comes back up.
The sun glares down from directly overhead, and I lift a hand to shade my eyes.
There are three people on the beach, near the other side of the cove, too far away to make out their faces.
Hopefully, they can’t see us clearly either.
I turn my attention back to the hole. “He should be out by now, right?”
Phoenix shrugs. “We don’t know how deep it goes.”
I lean farther over the edge, peering into the darkness. It’s impossible to see what’s down there. Hunter’s grip on my shoulder tightens like he’s holding me back, worried I might fall. I glance up at him, and the look he’s giving me makes my chest all warm and fuzzy.
Phoenix must notice because he bumps his shoulder against mine and whispers, “So… seems like you two had fun yesterday.”
Hunter clears his throat, lets go of me and steps back. I glare at Phoenix. Another thing I’m realizing about Hunter’s best friend is that he’s an instigator. He enjoys stirring up trouble. Well, two can play at that.
“And it looked like you were getting awfully cozy with my mate during your swim,” I sass back.
Phoenix just grins. “Yeah, I was.” He swings around so he’s sitting on the edge of the hole with his legs in the water. “Feel like sharing?”
My face burns even though I lathered on sunscreen before we left. I laugh to dissipate some of the tension.
There’s some noise from down the beach. The people I spotted earlier have moved closer.
It’s not uncommon for students to hang out down here, but their presence makes me nervous for Caspian.
I take off the small backpack I’m carrying, set it on the rock next to the opening, and reposition so I’m blocking the view from the beach, sitting with my legs in the warm water like Phoenix.
Hunter stays standing behind us, like some kind of silent sentinel.
“You think I’m joking, but I’m not.” The alpha beside me kicks the water. He picks up the shorts Caspian was wearing and twirls them around one finger with a wicked smile. “Can I keep these?”
“Phoenix,” Hunter says, a note of censure in his voice.
Phoenix tilts his head back so he can look up at Hunter. “You can’t tell me you wouldn’t join that party.”
Hunter looks away, scowling, but he doesn’t deny it. My heart does a hopeful little flip, and I squeeze my thighs together. Something wraps around my foot, and I scream, yanking my leg up with a smiling merman still attached to it.
He pulls himself out of the water, leaning over me and kissing me like it’s been hours since we saw each other instead of minutes.
I’m acutely aware of Phoenix and Hunter watching, but I quickly forget about our audience as Caspian slots his firm body between my legs, hands framing my hips, wet chest pushing into mine and soaking more than my shirt.
“You’re gonna want to see this, starfish,” he says against my lips between kisses. He grabs my hips like he’s going to pull me into the hole with him, but Hunter stops him by banding his forearm across my chest from behind. He’s squatting down at my back with his knees pinning my arms to my body.
“She can’t breathe underwater like you can, Caspian,” Hunter growls as if my mate’s forgotten my limitations. I’m sure he hasn’t.
“It is only a short swim, and then there’s air,” Caspian replies, looking up at Hunter.
“How short?”
“She will be fine,” Caspian says. “I am certain of it.” He quirks his head to the side, eyes sparkling. “You, on the other hand…”
Hunter growls, tightening his grip to pull me back against him.
Caspian doesn’t let go of me, but his hands trail from my hips down to my upper thighs.
I catch Phoenix’s eye. He’s watching this exchange with a wide, boyish grin, feet still dangling in the water next to Caspian’s partially submerged tail.
“We should go back and get supplies before we continue,” Hunter says.
“What’ll it hurt to check it out first?” Phoenix asks. He’s staring into the hole like he can possibly see what’s on the other side. It’s clear he’s as curious as I am. “We can come right back out and then return with supplies tomorrow.”
Hunter doesn’t loosen his grip, and his chin scrapes across the top of my hair as he shakes his head.
“Caspian wouldn’t let me go unless it’s safe,” I say. “Don’t you want to see what’s down there?”
Hunter’s forearm tenses against my chest, sparking little fires in my breasts.
“There are a lot of other things I’d prefer to see right now,” Hunter says, mouth brushing my earlobe.
I don’t register the seduction in his words until Phoenix lets out a low whistle. I tilt my head to look at Hunter, our faces so close his breath tickles my lips. His pupils swallow the light brown irises.
“The cavern below is more private,” Caspian says, chuckling. “Why not explore it and our little starfish?”
My mate’s suggestion startles me out of the foggy lust, and I glance at the beach, aware that I’m pressed entirely too close to my professor in plain sight of the shoreline. The cove is still mostly empty, apart from the three people slowly moving this direction.
Hunter clears his throat, blinks, and shakes his head like he’s shaking off a fog. He leans back on his heels, releasing me from his grasp. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s okay.” I wet my lips, and his gaze drops to my mouth.
“If you two need a minute, we can meet you down there,” Phoenix says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. Apparently, everyone is rooting for Hunter and me, except Hunter.
“No, I’ll go first.” Hunter moves around me. He fishes two waterproof flashlights out of his bag, then tightens the straps on his shoulders. I guess he intends to wear the backpack down there. Keeping one flashlight for himself, he hands the other to me.
Caspian lifts out of the hole to sit next to me with his tail still in the water.
Hunter gives him a searching look, like he’s looking for reassurance, then he maneuvers himself into a crouch, flicks on the flashlight, places his arms over his head, takes a deep breath, and goes headfirst into the water.
“You next,” Phoenix says, touching my knee.
I want to see what’s down there, and I trust my mate that it’s safe, but the reality of being squeezed into a hole catches up to me all in one breath.
This thing isn’t any wider than the slides at a water park, but instead of a trickling stream of water, it’s filled completely.
Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I never liked those slides.
Too claustrophobic. The summer I was ten, my friend wanted me to go on the slide with her so badly she looked up the statistics to prove it was safe.
Turns out waterslides cause more injuries than rollercoasters or go-karts.
I took an inner-tube to the lazy river instead.
But this is different. My mate’s with me. And this could be the first clue leading us to Ocearus. I want to do this. It’s just… I really wish there was another way in there.
Stalling, I fiddle with my backpack, pulling out a small dry bag and putting a couple essentials in it like my phone, a small flashlight, a pocket knife, Aunt April’s journal, and the last of our snacks in case we get hungry.
“You can climb on my back if you want, starfish,” Caspian says softly. I’d have to glue myself to his body since it looks like there’s barely enough room for us both, but I don’t hate that idea at all.
“Alright, then.” Phoenix balls Caspian’s shorts in his fist rather than giving them back to him. “I’ll go next.” He kisses my cheek, then Caspian’s, the action so natural, I don’t question it until he pulls away. “See you on the other side,” he says, then jumps in and vanishes from sight.
My cheek still tingles from the brief brush of his lips. I press my fingers over the spot and watch until he’s out of sight.
I clip my drybag around my waist, making sure it'll lie flat when pressed between Caspian’s and my bodies so it won’t get snagged on a rock.
Then, I move around the hole behind my mate.
From here, I can see the beach more than the ocean.
The people I saw before are starting to wade into the waves.
They’re still too far to pick out their features, but I can tell that it’s three men.
Hopefully, they’re just going for a swim and haven’t noticed us up here.
“Hold on tight,” Caspian says. “And pinch me if you need a breath.”
“Okay, let’s do this.” I wrap myself around him and suck in the biggest breath I can before we fall into the water.