Epilogue
Grayson
Grayson shifted from foot to foot, listening to the creak of the dock beneath. The speedboat was little more than a glinting speck in the horizon, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
“Nervous?” Keld draped both arms around Grayson’s neck from behind. “Everything will be fine.”
The Mer was in his land form, tail retracted and scales pulled tight to resemble a human skin tone.
His hair was unbound, concealing the inhuman ears, and he wore a pair of light linen shorts with a white t-shirt.
To the untrained eye, he looked entirely human, provided you didn’t meet his unnatural orange gaze.
“I know, I know.” Grayson’s mouth produced the words robotically. In truth, he’d tried for the past two weeks to envision his brothers here, in the Mermades, living amongst the aliens they’d hated so much. He couldn’t picture it. He couldn’t even imagine the happy reunion Keld kept promising.
Together, they watched the deep blue boat race closer and closer, a large, dark shape leaping from the water on either side—the captain’s mate, Grayson thought, though he couldn’t remember the massive Alpha’s name.
His fingers were cold, despite the bright, noon sun, and his palms were damp with anxious sweat. His jaw ached with tension, but he couldn’t figure out how to unclench it.
“Here they come,” Keld murmured. He pecked Grayson on the cheek and dropped his arms, striding toward the end of the dock.
“Vuos!” he called, hand raised in greeting. “Showing off, as always.”
“I believe there is a saying,” Vuos said as his fingers worked the heavy ropes, “that goes ‘if you got it, flaunt it’.”
Keld laughed, but Grayson’s face remained a mask of tension. Jameson hopped off the boat, ignoring Vuos’s offered hand. His eyes, the same pale blue as Grayson’s own, were fixed on his older brother.
Grayson took a few wooden steps in Jameson’s direction. “You made it.”
“Yep, sure did.” Jameson’s gaze flickered to the purple foliage over Grayson’s shoulders. “Guess my camo won’t work here, huh?”
Grayson managed a short laugh. “It’s good to see you, James.”
At last, his brother’s mouth quirked up in a grin. “Good to see you too, Gray.”
“Grayson!” Dawson’s familiar, eager voice slashed through the awkward bubble hovering between his older brothers.
“Daws!” Grayson opened one arm and gave Dawson a tight side hug. His stomach plummeted at the sight of the boy’s face.
Dawson’s left eye was mottled with healing greenish yellow, with more bruising around his throat. His arms were bare and burning in the Miami sun, but those, too, were marred with violence.
“Jesus Daws,” Grayson said, swallowing hard against the wave of guilt that crashed over him. “You okay?”
Dawson shrugged. “Kinda hurts when I poke ‘em, but they’re sure better than they used to be.”
Jameson was watching Dawson with the same angry, guilty expression that almost certainly contorted Grayson’s face.
Dawson frowned. “Guys, I’m fine. C’mon, let’s go! I wanna see our new digs.”
Keld met Grayson’s eyes from behind the two brothers. He was staying back until Grayson called him over, like they planned.
Grayson took a deep breath through his nose. “Sure, Daws. But first, I need to introduce you to someone.” He jerked his head at Keld, and the Mer returned to his place at Grayson’s side.
Keld smiled down at Jameson and Dawson, both of whom shrank back slightly.
“This is Keld,” Grayson said. There was a tremor in his voice. “Keld Vihinu. He’s my boyfriend. The one I told you about, that helped me find a job for you. He’s also the one that got your apartment situation figured out.”
Dawson put on a smile, if a somewhat uncomfortable smile, and stuck out his hand. “Nice t’meet ya.”
Keld paused. “Sorry, what was that?” He shook Dawson’s hand, brows drawn.
“I said nice t’meet ya,” Dawson repeated, a little slower. To Grayson, he added, “He don’t speak English too good, huh?”
A true bubble of laughter rose in Grayson’s chest. He’d never noticed just how thick his youngest brother’s accent was until this very moment.
“He said nice to meet you,” Grayson translated, fighting back a grin. “Daws, his English is fine. I think it’s yours that’s the problem.”
Jameson snorted and offered Keld his hand. “Thanks for doin’ all that for us.”
“You’re welcome,” Keld responded, looking relieved he could understand at least one of them. “Got all your stuff? Let’s get you boys home.”
∞∞∞
Dawson burst through Grayson’s front door, report card in hand. He stopped dead as Grayson and Keld flew apart, severing the deep kiss they’d been tangled up in.
“Gross, git a room.”
“You walked into my apartment,” Grayson pointed out.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, look!” Dawson thrust the paper into Grayson’s face. “I got an A! I ain’t never got an A!”
Grayson took the paper and scanned the list of subjects.
Pre-Algebra: C+
English 1: D+
Interworld History: B
Biology 1: B
Health and Life Skills: C
Computer Science: B+
Loaish 1: A+
A wide smile split Grayson’s face and he dragged his youngest brother down in a headlock. “I’m so proud of you, bro. You’re killing it.”
“I told you,” Keld said, ruffling Dawson’s blond hair, much to his displeasure. “You have a knack for it.”
“I know it!” Dawson shoved free of Grayson’s grip. “Them classes is easy. Loaish just makes sense, ya know?”
“Sure, to you it does.” Grayson sighed. He could barely get the basic phrases out before his tongue started turning cartwheels.
Keld, on the other hand, stared blankly at Dawson, as he did every time the kid opened his mouth.
Dawson rolled his eyes. “Hosop’posh ka nik’e. Loaish rae ka fieru’n.”
“Oh. Well why didn’t you just say that?”
“Oyirax.” Dawson snatched his report card back and scrambled off the couch.
“What did you just call—who even taught you that?” Keld shouted, bolting after him. “Hey! You little shit!”
Dawson sprinted out the door, hollering, “I gotta pack for camping!”
Keld shut and locked the door, then doubled over laughing. “Where the fuck did he learn that?”
“What does it mean?” Grayson asked, bemused.
“It’s a slang term for an Alpha that’s only good for fertilizing eggs and not much else.” Keld fell back onto the couch beside Grayson. “Basically he called me stupid.”
Grayson snickered. “That’s what you get for insisting he take Loaish classes. You did this to yourself.”
“Yeah, well.” Keld kicked his feet up on the coffee table. “I’ll get my revenge tonight. Can’t wait to see the looks on their faces.”
Grayson grinned at his Alpha. “Same ‘campsite’ as last time?”
“You know it.”