Page 41 of Interlude

“Wish I could ask you to ease the ache in my dick,” he slurs before he snores slightly.

I smirk at those last muttered words. I’m pretty sure he would be mortified if he knew I heard that inner thought. I’m happy that I can do something to help him. I’ve grown very attached to the merman, and I don’t like seeing him in pain. It calls to my omega side to soothe him. I don’t want to look at that too closely, because that is an attachment reserved for streak members, which I guess that’s what he is now. They all are, Lila’s mates, but what I feel for the others feels more like companionship, except for the good doctor. What I feel for him is something different, and I think I am starting to feel that way about the merman too. I want to pet him and tell him he’s pretty and snuggle into his belly and purr for him.

I ache deep inside, even though Maxsim fucked me into submission not that long ago. Maybe if I rile him up by telling him about how I’m starting to feel about the merman, he will fuck me into submission again.

I whisper goodbye to Nikos, not wanting to wake him. He said he hasn’t been getting much sleep because he can’t get comfortable. Link wants him to stay close to the communicator, and the anemone where he usually rests is at the bottom of the pool.

I grab a towel, drying my fur as I hurry back to our room. Max will grumble if I come back wet, and the cold air in our den isn’t fun when you’re soaked through.

The suite is quiet when I arrive, and I frown. Where is everyone? It isn’t too late, and usually, someone would still be up watching something on the television, reading a book, or talking about their day, but the living area is empty, and the lights are dimmed, leaving only one lamp lit in case anyone gets up in the middle of the night.

I make my way to Max’s and my shared room. Lila offered me one of my own, but Max and I have been sharing for so long it makes sense. Plus, there is room for her when she wants to visit us and the babies when they arrive. I caress my stomach, which has started to show a little.

Our babies will need to stay in our room to start with. Their ability to withstand higher temperatures are limited when they are small. They won’t be able to co-exist with our other children until they are older. It’s something I worry about all the time. I know it also bothers Maxsim that he can’t go on away missions with the others because we have low tolerance to high heat. I’ve been meaning to ask Xavier if he can create a more permanent spell or charm like the one he gave me to spend time with Nikos under the sun lamps.

The door to our room slides back when I press my hand to the sensor, and I step into the space, discarding my wet loincloth in the dirty clothes basket before heading to our sunken nest. I hear Maxsim’s rumbling purr, and when I jump down, I’m surprised to find him already asleep. I can’t remember the last time we didn’t go to bed together, but it is a lot later than I thought it was. His eyes open the minute he scents me, and his rumbling purr becomes louder.

“Omega, why do you smell needy?” he growls at me, sitting up.

I blush, not willing to meet his eyes. “Pregnancy hormones,” I tell him, not ready to talk about my small, growing attraction to the merman, but then I notice he has something new around his neck.

“What is that? Did someone give you a gift?” A surge of jealousy whips through me. I know it wasn’t Lila, so who is gifting my alpha jewelry? My lightning sparks and lights up the dark nest.

Maxsim reaches up and drags me down into the nest, nuzzling into my neck and nipping his mate mark on my shoulder. I can smell the warlock on him. It’s strong, like he was in his presence recently.

“Is Lila back?” I ask him as he pulls away.

“No, she is still on the planet.” He sighs and tells me about her new mate, which I find a little tricky to comprehend.

“A god?” I ask, unable to hide my awe.

“Yeah, trust Lila to be mated to a god.” Maxsim chuckles, shaking his head. He leans over and grabs something from the edge of the nest and puts it over my head. I can scent the warlock magic now and realize that’s what I could smell on my alpha. “Xavier gave us these charms so we aren’t disadvantaged by our temperature intolerance.”

I look down, picking up the charm that’s around my neck. It’s a pretty carved stone that I can feel pulsing with the warlock’s magic.

“He said it will shift with us.” This is exactly what I was hoping he could create for our babies so they can be with their siblings and not stuck because of the disadvantages of our species.

“Do you think he would create two for the babies?” I ask him, and he smiles gently.

“I think Xavier would do anything you asked him to for our babies.”

I heave out a sigh of relief. I’ve been so worried about them missing out on so much. I want them to be able to sleep and play with our other children.

“We will ask him when he returns from Husadavia,” Maxsim tells me, rubbing a hand over my back.

“How did you get these if he isn’t back?” I ask, biting my lip as his touch turns from comforting to something a little more erotic.

“He popped back to give us an update,” he explains. “That’s how I know about Lila’s new mate.” Maxsim tips his head to the side in a very feline gesture. “It’s the being who controlled the plants and creatures on Husadavia for the harvesters. Turns out, he’s one of the old gods.”

I try to make sense of what my alpha is telling me. “Which one?”

“Zeydan, the earth elemental god. Xavier didn’t know a lot, but Lila stayed behind so she could find out more. Before you get upset, the dragon has gone down to make sure she is safe, even though the god assured Xavier she would be unharmed. He must have known her shifter mates would not have been okay with that.”

“Why the dragon?” I think about how horrible he has been to Lila, and a growl escapes me.

“The dragon is trying to make up for his mistakes. Don’t be so harsh on him. I was just as bad to start with, and thankfully, Lila forgave me. The dragon deserves forgiveness too.”

“Hmm, I guess you’re right.”

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