Chapter 14
Keld
The freckled Omega stared up at Keld, shock and indignation clear on his face. Adorable.
“What?” Keld asked innocently. “The instructor told us to find a partner. Seems like everyone else is taken.”
Grayson’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t refuse. Keld’s smile widened.
“Everyone have a partner?” Alyssa called out. “Anyone still need one? No? Great.” She gestured to someone off stage. An Alpha banded with thick muscles stepped up to join her.
“This is Tuyot, and they’ll be assisting me today.”
Keld knew Tuyot. Not well, but the powerful Alpha was a regular sight at Siren. Most of the humans in the crowd were looking slightly concerned for little Alyssa’s safety. Until the Mer dropped to their knees, back to the crowd. Alyssa selected a neon green rope—highly visible even from afar.
“Now,” the woman said, “I’ll ask one partner to come up to the board and grab a rope.”
Keld leaned down, stopping just above Grayson’s shoulder. The Omega stiffened.
“I’ll get it,” Keld purred. “You wait here.”
As he made his way to the front, Keld spied a female Alpha with burnt orange scales—the one he’d seen take Aureli home a few nights ago. He’d thought she seemed familiar then, but seeing her here jogged his memory back into place.
“Hey, Malukti!” he called in Loaish. “It’s been a while.” Zasia’s old friend. He’d met her once or twice at Siren, but he had a feeling she’d done it more to placate Zasia than out of true interest in kink.
“Ke—Ah—Tuiket,” she replied, smiling. “Still a frequent flyer, huh?”
Keld shrugged. “What else is there to do on a weeknight?”
Malukti laughed. “I think most people have something called hobbies.”
“This is my hobby!” Keld protested. “You here with someone? Or just browsing?”
Malukti tilted her head toward the crowd. “I brought someone, but I don’t know him well.”
“Does his name happen to be Aureli?”
“Aureliano,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “How did you know?”
“I watched you pick him up at Vitor’s the other night.”
The female Alpha chuckled. “Thought I saw you there.” She took a red rope from the rack. “How about you? Browsing?”
Keld selected an orange one. “Not exactly. We’ll see where the night goes.” He winked.
“Good luck, then.” Malukti grinned before disappearing into the crowd.
Keld returned to Grayson, whose expression had shifted from indignation to aggravation.
“You know Malukti?” he said, scowling.
“She’s a friend of a friend. Why?” Keld couldn’t keep his mouth from curling at the corners. Grayson made himself far too easy to provoke.
“Figures,” he muttered under his breath. “This island is too small.”
“Ah, but if the island was bigger, I’d have a much harder time running into you.”
Grayson opened his mouth to retort, but Alyssa’s voice drowned him out. Keld held a finger to his lips and pointed up at the stage. Grayson’s face was utterly mutinous.
“Does every pair have a rope? Excellent. Now before we start tying, we have a few ground rules to cover.”
Alyssa moved to stand in front of Tuyot, who had not moved from their obedient position.
“First and foremost, as with all things, communication is key. Always begin by establishing boundaries. Decide what exactly you want from the experience and what you don’t want.
If something is uncomfortable, or too tight, or you just don’t want to do it anymore, speak up.
For the rigger—the person tying the knots—it is your job to continuously check your partner’s comfort.
This includes monitoring their circulation.
We do not want any purple limbs or broken scales. Well. Not today, anyway.”
Alyssa smirked and the crowd tittered.
“In general, we want to avoid discoloration and numbness,” she went on.
“This can be trickier to spot on Mer scales. If you are rigging a Mer, watch carefully to see if scales are bending. The finer scales at the wrists, for example, are flexible, but larger scales, in general, shouldn’t be bending.
Check in with your Mer partner often to ensure there’s no numbness. ”
Keld bent down again. “Don’t worry, I’ve done this before. I’ll make sure you feel everything.”
Grayson refused to turn, but Keld saw his cheek darken.
Alyssa gestured to various points on Tuyot’s body. “We mostly want to avoid excessive pressure on joints and nerves. Stick to the meatier parts of your partner.” She winked.
Keld held his tongue this time.
“That about covers it!” Alyssa clapped her hands together. “So, if you want to be the one getting tied up, please face your partner and hold out an arm. We’ll be starting with a foundational knot called the single column.”
Keld waited, but Grayson didn’t turn.
“Want to tie me up instead?” Keld suggested. “Not my usual position, but I’ll try anything once.”
Grayson let out a sharp sigh and thrust his arm out toward Keld.
“Good,” Keld murmured.
That sweet, flowery smell cloyed in the air around them, rolling from Grayson’s scent glands and into Keld’s bloodstream. It mingled with the scents of a dozen other excited Omegas’, filling the entire room in a sugary cloud.
“Can you smell that?” Keld whispered, looping the rope around Grayson’s wrists. “All the Omegas?”
Grayson pressed his lips together. “Yes,” he muttered. “I feel like I’m at a combination florist and bakery.”
Keld barked a laugh. “Funny and pretty? The world is an unfair place, isn’t it?”
Grayson’s entire face went beet red, and the air around him grew even sweeter. “I’m not pretty.”
Keld hooked a finger under his chin. “I beg to differ.”
Grayson’s pale blue eyes met his. Keld held him there for a few moments before releasing him. On stage, Alyssa was demonstrating the knot on Tuyot. The enormous Alpha’s tail flicked side to side. Nervousness. Excitement. Maybe both.
Keld finished the knot with a flourish. “Done. What do you think?”
Grayson lifted his wrist closer. “It’s kind of pretty.”
“Only because it’s on you.”
Grayson glared, but the look had less bite than mere moments prior. “Don’t overdo it.”
Keld chuckled and loosened the knot. “Give me both your wrists.”
Grayson glanced up at the stage, where Alyssa was showcasing her completed knot. “She didn’t say both wrists.”
“True, but she will in just a few minutes.” Keld’s eyes roved over the delicate line of the Omega’s neck and shoulder. “We can wait if that would make you more comfortable.”
Grayson didn’t answer at first. Keld watched the Omega’s gaze flicker between his scaleclad body and the floor.
“Fine.” Grayson offered both arms, but kept his eyes on the ground.
Keld wrapped the rope around both forearms. “Not used to seeing Mer without clothes?”
The Omega jolted. “Why do you say that?”
“Well, for starters, you seem to be awfully interested in the floor.” A slow grin spread across Keld’s face as Grayson instantly snapped up to stare Keld in the eye.
“No. I’m not used to it. Happy?”
“Getting there.” Keld’s fingers worked through the motions on autopilot, lashing Grayson’s arms together. “Would be happier if you’d told me from your knees.” He suppressed a laugh at the sharp inhale that met his words.
“Are you this… forward with everyone?” Grayson demanded.
The Omega was holding his anger before him like a shield, trying and failing to conceal the obvious arousal behind it.
His floral scent drenched the air between them, which in turn stirred Keld’s cock in a way that made him wish he had pants on.
“Not everyone,” he answered. “Most people aren’t as fun to play with.”
Grayson scoffed, though the flush had yet to leave his face. “You think I’m fun to play with?”
Keld completed the final step of the knot, immobilizing Grayson’s forearms. “I certainly enjoy watching you blush. I guess I can’t say for sure if you’re fun to play with.” He grazed the bound skin with the tips of his claws and watched little bumps rise in response. “Want to show me?”
Grayson let out a shuddering breath. “I still think you’re an asshole.” There was no fire in his words.
“Maybe I am,” Keld acknowledged. “But I’m a talented asshole.”
“You’re an egotistical asshole.”
Keld laughed. “Is there a difference?”
“Yes,” Grayson shot back.
The rest of the room seemed to have fallen away—the instructor’s voice was little more than a distant hum, and the crowd was a vague blur at the edges. Only Grayson stood in sharp focus.
“Well,” Keld said slowly. “How will you know if you don’t try?” He heard air catch in Grayson’s throat. So very near snapping. Keld moved closer, invading Grayson’s space. Their lips were mere inches apart.
“Or are you still scared?” Keld whispered.
In a swift, sudden motion, Grayson’s lips crashed into Keld’s—warm and demanding. His body molded to Keld’s, bound arms pinned between their chests. Heat radiated off the Omega, his human body temperature like a beam of sunshine on Keld’s scales.
Keld caught Grayson’s sharp jaw in one hand and deepened the kiss. His tongue brushed across the Omega’s lower lip. A faint moan escaped, fanning Keld’s internal flame. A hard length pressed against Keld’s upper thigh.
If they kept this up, Keld’s slit wouldn’t be able to keep his arousal in check. He pulled back and gave Grayson a searching look. The Omega’s light eyes were overshadowed by his pupils, and his lips were parted in shock.
“There are private rooms,” Keld murmured. “Just down that hall. Will you join me?”
Grayson hesitated, but the bulge in his jeans said enough. “What exactly do you want to do?”
Keld’s mouth curled. “Make you feel good.”
Grayson shivered. “No whips and chains?”
“Not unless you want them.”
“No strings attached?” Grayson dropped his gaze.
Keld jerked a shoulder. “If that’s what you prefer. You might change your mind when I’m done with you.”
Another cascade of Omega pheromones pulsed through the air and Grayson blew out a breath. “Fuck it.”