Despite the copious wildlife, there were no Mermaids present. I had expected to see at least one on my journey to the boat - and then more once we set off. However, the only Mermaid nearby was Dair.
“It’s too quiet,” Dair agreed. He leaned against the railing of the small sailboat. His father’s, he had told me, before sheepishly adding, “He stole it from a rich Genie.”
Typical.
He was right. Normally, I would be grateful for the tranquility and silence, but I was too wound up. Too suspicious. Any second now, the serenity could shatter like a rock being thrown at glass.
Movement captured and ensnared my attention. Dair was slowly undressing, and despite the direness of the situation, I found myself taking in his golden expanse of skin. He had delectable back muscles, and two dimples leading down to his ass. I never knew that would turn me on so much.
When he shucked his pants, bending down to pull his feet out, I got a good view of his ass and balls. Pleasure swirled in my lower stomach, and I bit my lower lip.
“Stop fucking gawking,” Bash bit out. He turned his glare onto Dair. “And stop giving her a show.”
Dair smiled cheekily at me over his shoulder, winking once, before he dived into the water. Once he was gone, the mood instantly turned somber, and I spun on Bash.
“Why are you such a fucking prick?” I asked, and his eyes narrowed.
“Because this is serious, Z. Or don’t you understand that?”
“Of course I understand! I understand that better than anyone. It’s my life on the line, Bash. Not yours. Not Dair’s. Mine. And it’s all the lives of those men in that dungeon. And maybe even Ryland’s! But we don’t fucking know anything.” I threw my hands up into the air in agitation. “Excuse me for enjoying one moment of normalcy. One moment with my mate before shit hits the fan.”
Bash’s hand tightened over the steering wheel. He looked as if he wanted to run to me, but I couldn’t tell if it was to strangle me or kiss me.
“You still don’t get it,” he settled on at last, dismissing me with a slow shake of his head. I narrowed my eyes at the pompous asshole.
“What don’t I get? Why don’t you fucking speak in words instead of these cryptic codes?”
I balled my hand into a fist, seconds from decking him. I could learn to drive a damn boat if the need arose, and I was sure Bash would be quite tasty fish food.
Bash turned abruptly, face red.
“If you die, we die,” he seethed. “It’s that simple. Maybe not literally, but mentally. You saw what happened when the Shifter King lost his mate. He went fucking insane! Did you know that he begged for death?”
His question took me by surprise. For some reason, it was almost a physical blow to my stomach. I staggered back a step until my thighs were resting against the teal leather seats at the back of the boat.
“What?”
I tried to visualize what he had said. The Shifter King may be evil, an asshole of massive proportions, but he was the epitome of strong, alpha male. He practically exuded raw masculinity from his gruff voice and burly appearance to his condescending remarks. The picture Bash painted was impossible to imagine.
“Even he couldn’t survive the death of his mate, and he didn’t like her very much,” Bash continued. His voice had lost its initial heat and now sounded subdued. Tired. Weary.
“Like us?” I mused, and heat once more flared to life in Bash’s eyes.
“They’re nothing like us,” he protested vehemently. The fire in his eyes grew to an inferno.
“You hate me.” My voice was weak, even to my own ears.
“I don’t fucking hate you,” he snapped.
“What about Cassie?”
“Who the fuck is Cassie?” He looked genuinely confused, and I couldn’t help but snort.
“The girl you left the ball with.” I mentally winced at how jealous I sounded. A pathetic, needy girlfriend. What had these men done to me?
Understanding flickered in his eyes followed immediately by horror.
“Is that why you have been such an icy bitch to me?” he asked, mouth agape. My hair rose on the back of my neck.
“Wow. Thanks.”
“Guys!” Dair’s voice floated to us from down below, and I risked a glance over the railing. His golden hair was spun with darker shades of umber as he bobbed in the water. Waves rippled over his chiseled, nicely defined chest. As he moved, I caught sight of his tail.
It was a deep, cerulean blue, and two times the size of his torso. I knew from experience that the tail was a rather sensitive area for the male Mermaid.
“You leading the way?” I asked Dair, turning my back on a fuming Bash. He was right. The conversation - and maiming - could wait until we were done with this ridiculous task.
“Yeah,” he called back, swimming in front of the boat. His muscles flexed with each swipe of the water, and once more, I had to remind myself not to drool.
But my damn vagina wanted to pee on him and claim him as my own. Shameless hussy, that one.
Bash sullenly moved back to the wheel.
“Can we go faster?” I asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. We had barely made a dent in the long strip of canal, slowly puttering along.
Bash glared at me like my question was the stupidest thing he had ever heard.
“It’s shallow here,” he snapped. “Unless you want the boat to get stuck in sand and break.”
“It’s not my fault I’ve never ridden a fucking boat before,” I retorted back. He muttered something in irritation but thankfully did not respond. I wasn’t sure I could last another comment from him without ripping his dick off his body.
The silence stretched, thickening.
“I didn’t do anything with Cassie,” Bash bit out. He sounded...frustrated. Frustrated and appalled. From where I sat behind him,
