6. Harven
HARVEN
The dining room is teeming with the usual attendees.
Hyra sits near the middle, trying to catch my eye. She is not the only one intent upon meeting my gaze. My lords and councilmen anxiously track my every movement, looking for any sign of weakness. They’re waiting for me to snap. To wither under the shame of my mate's rejection.
They can continue to wait. Despite what some of them plot, I’m not going anywhere. Especially not now—not when she is finally here. No matter what she said in anger.
I glare at the four empty chairs as the minutes seem to stretch into hours.
Lord Terion drones on about the latest tithes being collected in the western settlements. A few others dare to ask questions in low voices, eager not to plunge back into stilted silence. I don’t have the mind for politics at present. All my thoughts are with her.
My little mate. I hadn’t expected our first meeting to go the way it did.
I refuse to feel shame over it. I would’ve preferred her ire away from the prying eyes of my court for both of our sakes, but it couldn’t be helped. She will learn just how thin the castle walls are. How her display endangers her.
I swore to protect her from every threat, and I meant it. Opportunists are rife within the palace. I won’t let them get their greedy hands on her. She will learn her place and fall into her role as my mate.
She has to. For the good of us all.
My mate is incredibly beautiful. Instead of waiting for her to arrive at dinner, I should be with her. In her room. Buried deep inside her sweet body. I’ll wring pleasure from her and watch her grow round with my heir. The ache in my chest worsens.
My tentacles coil as if they can stretch all the way into her room and snatch her away.
I had foolishly believed that once the initial shock wore off, she would understand. That she would feel our bond as acutely as I do, and we would satisfy the urge that’s been building inside of me for centuries.
It’s no surprise she is wary. Humans don’t know we exist. My magic stretches throughout all the oceans to conceal us. Contact with humans has only been due to discovering my mate dwelled among them. We raid lone vessels and ensure there are no survivors.
The truth is a brutal one, but nothing—not even death—was going to stop me from claiming her.
I can admit that perhaps it was a bit naive of me to think it would be easy between us.
What I’ve learned about humans is that they are born into societies that rely on moral codes that don’t exist beneath the waves.
I knew she would need time to adjust to her new life amongst unfamiliar creatures.
The deaths I’ve caused would surely cause her some hesitation until I could properly explain myself.
What I failed to consider is that she would hate me for them.
As devastating as her hatred is, it doesn’t matter. If she wishes to live, she’ll have to give me what I seek. Once she provides me with an heir, we could live separately.
I’d never force her to remain entirely by my side. She is entitled to my Pearls or to find lovers of her own.
My heart jolts as if shocked by an eel.
It isn’t a pleasant thought—sharing her. Mates are meant to be sacred. She is the other half of my soul. If I wasn’t cursed, I’d have enjoyed at least one iteration of her already, but I wasn’t as lucky as my father. There will only be one mate for me.
To have her hate me—I can’t consider it.
A growl rises in my throat. My dinner companions look my way but wisely say nothing. I rub at my chest until my skin feels raw. The primal edges of the bond make me restless.
In my desperation to find her, I have become confused.
Conflating my need for her womb with a need for her. If we could have an amiable relationship, that would be nice, but not entirely necessary. Once I fuck her and satisfy the urge—once she is pregnant—this overwhelming need to keep her will surely fade.
I’ll go back to fucking my Pearls and not concern myself with the happiness of the human whose life I stole. Far more would’ve died had I not done what I did. If that makes me a monster to her, then so be it.
I resign myself to hardening my heart against her lest I seem even weaker to my scheming lords. However, I can’t help but wonder if she’s leaving someone behind on the surface. A family? A lover of her own?
It doesn’t matter if she did. The magic keeping her alive binds her here. Once she is pregnant, the Sea Witch Gyll will perform the final transformation and break the curse with my line secured.
My mate is staying here whether she likes it or not.
The dining room doors slam open. Nixie slithers in first.
Her glowing eyes are seductive as she prowls along the marble with fluid grace. I always enjoyed how eager she was to please me. A desirable trait in a lover, but one that's starting to annoy me. I don’t have time for her games. I have a mate to bed.
“My king,” she purrs, reaching for the chair at my side.
“The far end, Nixie. You know your place,” I rumble.
Her lips part in surprise before twisting to the side. She throws a haughty glare over her shoulder. Bowing low, she scampers towards the end. Settling onto her silver chair with a pout, she crosses her arms over her breasts.
My gaze returns to the door as Seera and Bly appear, smiling at each other in their secretive way.
They are a pleasure to bed together. Unlike Nixie, they prefer to share while the siren prefers my undivided attention. The two merfolk bow towards me with gracious smiles. I wave them off as moisture beads along my skin.
I’m eager to see her again. Until I fuck her, this primal need is going to run away with me. My tentacles feel impossibly heavy. I stir in my chair, honing in on the soft footsteps approaching the open doors.
Her delectable figure is highlighted by the bioluminescent light of the algae I have floating in glass sconces. The blue hue they emit highlights her eyes. My mouth goes dry. She is a beauty. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Her pale gold skin is complemented by the blue fabric of her gauzy dress. Large swathes of her body are on display. Her golden hair falls in soft curls down her back. Pieces have been artfully twisted away from her face.
With large eyes and full lips, she is all delicate softness. I long to trace the curves of her with my fingers, my tongue—my tentacles. I want to memorize every inch of her. Commit every freckle and smell to memory.
She is more radiant than the sun and glows brighter than the moon. More glorious than the most dazzling pearl. She is life. She is—
Not looking at me.
“You sent your Pearls to retrieve her?” Hyra hisses.
I cut my niece a warning glare. She should know her place more than anyone.
Rising onto my tentacles, I extend a hand towards my mate. Her eyes finally lift to mine, and my cock hardens instantly. Fire burns in her irises. She is no meek thing. My mate looks every bit the queen I’m determined to make her.
She eyes my hand warily. The chatter around the room ceases, and silence stretches.
Clearing my throat, I gesture towards the chair beside me. My tentacles writhe and snap, eager for another touch of her soft skin.
Her top lip curls as she stares at the polished white marble table.
“You look lovely, my—”
Her glare has my tentacles turning inward. I swallow thickly as unfamiliar heat spreads across my face. Huffing through her nose, she rolls her eyes and takes measured steps forward.
“Is there anyone not attending this dinner?” she asks before sullenly dropping into the empty chair.
I retract my hand and take my seat.
Glances are exchanged around the table as unease grows. My mate doesn’t notice them. She seems far more intent on glaring at me than surveying the crowd. This pleases me.
Even when angry, her eyes are only for me.
“There are many lords and ladies not in attendance,” I say, more than eager to answer her question. “Lord Misa is missing, as is his mate Rhydana. Then there are Lord Jissa and Lore. They are in the eastern settlements. Of course, I can’t forget—”
“I believe, Uncle, the human was making an observation about the large number gathered,” Hyra interjects. “The question was not in earnest.”
My mate's lips twitch as if suppressing a smile. Heat spreads down my neck and chest. I say nothing, merely signal for the servants to present the first course.
White plates click as they present sea-goo atop a bed of moss.
I had researched humans' eating requirements. This should provide her with all the necessary nutrients she needs. My mate doesn’t seem convinced as she eyes it warily.
Gripping the silver two-prong fork in her hand, she stabs at the dull green spread.
“Eve,” she says, looking between Hyra and me.
What an odd sound to make. Is this some human word that can’t be translated into our language? My brows lower as she leans back in her chair.
“My name,” she explains. “My name is Eve. You can stop calling me the human. Or mate, for that matter.”
Mate. Mate. Mate.
The word on her lips makes my cock painful. My tentacles work to adjust it as I digest the information I’ve been given.
Shame cramps my stomach. How could I not have asked her name? I had felt her silky skin and her warm lips against mine, but I hadn’t gotten her name. My mouth still tingles from the too-brief press.
She had tasted like life. Sweeter than sea-wine.
“Eve,” I repeat.
A shudder wracks her, but she looks angry again. She stabs at the goo with quiet fury. Her blue eyes slide to mine. Anger and apprehension swirl like a whirlpool in her irises.
“Is this safe for me to eat?”
“Yes. Everything in this palace is conducive to a human.” I spread good onto my moss. “Once I learned my mate was one, I’ve spent the last century acclimating my court to your needs. My magic keeps the water out and provides fresh air. We have all learned to breathe it and walk upright.”
“Why go to all the trouble?”