Chapter 22
Keld
Should I get my fins pierced? Keld couldn’t stop thinking about those golden studs adorning Reiz’s ruffled ear fins.
Reiz was an equatorial Mer—they always looked flashy with their vibrant scales and penchant for self-decoration.
The other Alpha, specifically, was a subgroup of equatorial Mer that had developed in relative isolation around a cluster of islands far from the main continental islands.
The unique fins were a dead giveaway, even if their streaming, v-shaped tails were retracted.
Keld would never admit it aloud, but the cafe meeting had done a number on his self-esteem. The golden scales he was usually so proud of seemed dull in comparison to Reiz’s luster. What if Grayson ended up preferring Reiz? Keld had no claim to him, but losing him entirely…
Get it together.
Grayson was waiting for him in their building’s small lobby, shifting from foot to foot.
Keld pasted a grin onto his face. “Nervous, aiu?”
“Yeah,” Grayson muttered.
The smile slipped. “You know, we don’t have to do this if you’re uncomfortable with it.”
Please say you’re uncomfortable with it.
“No, no.” Grayson took a deep breath. “I’m fine. It’ll be fun.”
Keld eyed him, masking the drop in his stomach. “If you say so… Are you wearing makeup?”
The flush was instantaneous. “No! Jenna just… did something to my eyelashes.”
Keld tipped the Omega’s chin up with a finger. “Hm. I like it. Remind me to thank her.”
“Don’t encourage her,” Grayson mumbled.
The route to Siren was singed into Keld’s brain, which left him far too much time to think as he drove.
“You know,” he said aloud. “You don’t have any obligation to only see me. You’re free to try out other partners.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?” Grayson didn’t look at him.
“I mean, you can go to Siren without me if you want to,” Keld pressed, ignoring that deeper part of him that hissed and spat at the thought. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re stuck with me.”
“Do you want me to see other Alphas?” The Omega’s voice wavered.
“It’s not about what I want,” Keld said. “If you want to branch out, you don’t need to worry about hurting my feelings.”
Lie. But it should be the truth.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Keld glanced over at the passenger seat. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Fine. Just… Going to Siren without you would be nerve-wracking.”
Unbidden warmth and relief flooded through Keld.
“I’m definitely not complaining if you want to stick with me,” he said. Without thinking, he reached out and gave Grayson’s hand a squeeze.
The Omega’s gaze snapped to Keld’s, his expression inscrutable.
Too familiar? Keld withdrew his hand and cleared his throat. “We’re here.”
Grayson blew out a breath. “It’s going to be fun,” he said, almost to himself.
“It’s going to be fun,” Keld affirmed. “Let’s go. I think Reiz is already down there.”
“Right.” Grayson climbed from the car and gestured for Keld to take the lead.
Reiz was indeed already waiting. He was parked at the bar, chatting with the weekend bartender, Cedar. The human Omega was a fairly new hire, but everybody knew Reiz had bagged him in his first week of employment.
Cedar was, to be fair, absolutely stunning. He had high cheekbones, deep, russet skin, and long, silky black hair he always wore in two braids. Keld himself had contemplated wrapping them around his fist, back when he still paid attention to other Omegas.
“Reiz,” Keld said, when they’d gotten close enough. “Thought I’d find you here.”
Cedar shot the other Alpha a reproachful look. “Please tell me you’re taking him with you. He seems to think he still has a shot when I’m on the clock, bless him.”
“Are you telling me I do not?” Reiz asked in mock outrage.
Cedar rolled his eyes. “Can I get you fine fellows anything to drink? Or are you going to make space for paying clients?”
“Gray,” Reiz said. “Would you like a drink before we begin? Nothing strong of course.”
Grayson hesitated.
Keld bent down to his ear and whispered, “You might want to be clear-headed for this.” He felt Grayson shiver under his breath.
“I’ll pass, but thanks, Reiz,” the Omega said.
Cedar was subtly looking between the three of them, apparently torn between professionalism and intrigue.
“Very well.” Reiz got to his feet. “I will talk with you later, Cedar.”
“Have fun,” Cedar said, poorly suppressing a knowing grin.
Keld led his partners down the familiar hallway, and paused at a door on the left. “Gray, I know this isn’t our normal room, but this one has a bed to accommodate larger groups. Is that okay?”
Grayson nodded mutely.
“Anything I should know about him?” Reiz muttered in Loaish. “Poor thing is so nervous.”
“No degrading, lots of forewarning, and more check-ins than normal,” Keld said quietly. “He’ll relax once he’s used to you, don’t worry. I’ll take the lead at first.” Every word that came from his mouth was like ash on his tongue.
Grayson’s lips were pressed into a frown, but he said nothing about the language shift.
Keld pushed the door open, revealing a dark room with stereotypical black walls and modified furniture. An enormous bed consumed most of the space at the center—easily enough space for roughly three Mer and five humans, if Keld’s memory served correctly.
Reiz moved to seat himself in the chair situated in the corner of the room.
His long, slender tail trailed behind him, the scarlet fin flowing as if under water.
Thick, vertical stripes carved elegant lines of plum from the base of his tail, up to the center of his back, where they disappeared under pink hair.
The strands swished from side to side as Reiz’s fingers swept it into a loose knot at the back of his head.
Keld couldn’t blame Grayson for staring. Hell, even he was staring. He refocused, allowing himself to sink into the familiar role he was here to play. He stroked a hand along Grayson’s jaw to get his attention.
“Okay, aiu. It’s like we talked about—we’ll start just you and me. When you’re comfortable, I’ll call Reiz over. You will promise to both of us that you will communicate the moment you feel uncomfortable or want to stop.”
Pale blue eyes lifted to meet Keld’s. “I promise.”
Keld gestured to the corner of the room. “To him, too.”
Grayson turned his head, jaw still in Keld’s grasp. “I promise to communicate.”
“What is your safe word to slow down?”
Grayson glanced at Reiz. “Yellow.”
Keld fought back a laugh, despite himself. Too shy to use their more creative options, it seemed. “And to stop?”
“Red.”
“Very good.” Keld brushed his lips over Grayson’s. “Now, let’s get you out of those clothes.”
He reached back to dim the lights, then pulled Grayson’s shirt over his head. He allowed his hands to roam the soft, warm skin, pausing at the peaked nipples.
Grayson let out a soft gasp against Keld’s mouth.
Keld slowly moved them toward the bed, until Grayson’s legs hit the mattress. He undid the button on the Omega’s pants and pushed them down his hips. Grayson’s hands joined his in removing the garment. Keld pushed him gently onto the bed and crawled on top of his trembling body.
“You’re shaking, aiu,” he murmured, trailing kisses up his stomach. “Cold? Nervous? Turned on?”
“The last two,” Grayson breathed.
“Hmm.” Keld’s mouth skimmed up to the Omega’s throat. He nipped at the skin there, and was rewarded with a gasp. “How can I make you less nervous, aiu?”
Grayson’s breath hitched again as Keld’s lips moved along the side of his neck. “You can keep doing that.”
“Turn you on so much that you forget to be nervous?” Keld smiled against the Omega’s shoulder. “I happen to be an expert at that.” He abandoned Grayson’s upper half, gripping his hips and kissing the skin just above his waistband. From above, he heard a sharp inhale.
Keld ran his fingers over the growing bulge still hidden by the little boxer-briefs that never failed to drive him insane.
Rather than ripping them off right away, Keld slid his hands under Grayson’s thighs and pushed them up onto his shoulders.
Keld turned his head, kissing the sensitive skin there.
“How about now, aiu?” he said softly, biting at the inner thigh to his right. “Still feeling nervous?”
From this angle, Keld could see Reiz watching with half-lidded eyes, lazily stroking himself. His own cock jumped in response.
Well, that’s going to require a whole lot of self-reflection later.
“Gray?” Keld let his legs slip from his shoulders, down to the crook of his elbows. He smoothed a hand up and around to cup Grayson’s ass.
“Yes,” Grayson panted. “Less nervous.”
“Should I ask Reiz to take over?” Keld bent down to kiss Grayson’s cock through the thin layer of fabric. The question singed his throat.
Say no. Keld shoved the thought back down. This was a good thing. They were here to have fun. Grayson was not his.
Grayson shuddered in response. “Okay.”
“Okay? Or yes?” Keld shifted to press his own arousal against Grayson’s.
For a moment, Keld thought he might actually refuse.
“Yes,” Grayson whispered.
Keld dropped one last kiss on the Omega’s lips, then forced himself off the mattress. Reiz passed him, leaving a haze of Usoi flowers in his wake. Keld backed up, feeling for the chair with his tail, unwilling to take his eyes off the pair.
Reiz leaned down to stroke his claws along Grayson’s cheek.
“Gray,” Reiz murmured. “May I kiss you?”
Grayson stared up at the other Alpha, lips parted.
“Yes,” he said faintly.
Reiz’s lips found Grayson’s.
Keld felt as if he couldn’t blink, like if he did, Grayson would forget he ever existed.
Reiz deepened the kiss, and Keld watched the tension slowly leave Grayson’s muscles. The Alpha moved to cage Grayson under his body, hips angled to grind against him. He pinned Graysons’s wrists on either side of his head and he shifted his focus to Grayson’s neck.
Keld’s heart was hammering in his ears.
Reiz’s palms slid down Grayson’s ribs and side before he hooked his fingers in Grayson’s underwear.
“May I remove these?”
Grayson nodded, and his underwear joined his other clothing on the floor. Reiz murmured something that sounded like praise and stroked a hand up Grayson’s length. The Omega moaned and arched his body into the gentle touch.
Any arousal Keld had worked up while touching Grayson was gone. Instead, he felt cold and numb, watching another Alpha pleasure his Omega. He couldn’t look away as Reiz reached between Grayson’s legs and found his entrance.
Grayson whimpered, hands curling into fists on the sheets.
“Oh, he is already so wet,” Reiz said, glancing over at Keld. “We may need to give this poor Omega some relief sooner than anticipated.” He leaned closer to Grayson’s face. “Shall we take turns fucking your hole and your throat?”
Another wordless sound fell from Grayson’s lips.
“Forgotten your words, have you, aiu?”
Aiu. Reiz called his Omega aiu.
“Red!”