Page 24 of Spectacle

“Yes, okay, yes, let’s do this.” Everyone stands up at the same time, and I freeze again and look at them with confusion. “Are you coming?” I ask, and it’s Echo who answers.

“Of course we are. We may not be able to be in the water, but we want to be there to greet the new members of our family as soon as they arrive.”

My heart melts, and my worry seeps away. This is my family, and we can do anything together. Hell, if we can wrangle three kraken shifter babies, two more aren’t going to be that much harder.

“Okay, cool. Let’s go. We’re having babies.” Okay, maybe my panic hasn’t completely left the building, but at least it’s died down to a slow simmer.

“I’m going to stay, and I’ll call Silac or Ghosie to come sit with the babies, then I’ll join you.” Maxsim places a kiss on Echo’s lips, followed quickly by one on mine.

“Thank you.” I brush my hand down his furry arm and hurry to the door, not willing to wait around any longer, but as I pass Xavier, he reaches out and grabs me.

“We will meet you there,” he tells the others, and in a flash, we materialize in the cavern at the bottom of the pool. I strip off my shirt as Xavier drops to my feet and slides my shorts and panties down my legs, tapping them so I step out.

My heart races as I look at the crystal blue water, which is churning like a washing machine. I can’t see Nikos, but he has to be down there somewhere. “Should I wait for the others?” I ask him, doubting myself once more. “Link might have instructions.”

He shakes his head and chuckles. “Did you need instruction?” he asks me, and I feel a little silly. “It should all be instinctual, at least for Nik. You just need to be there for moral support. Go, Cas will catch up.”

I nod and give him an absent kiss then dive into the pool, my shift happening the moment my head touches the water. By the time my feet enter, they’ve already merged into a tail. The special film slides across my eyeballs, and the hazy water clears so I can see perfectly. I hear a sound that has my stomach roiling with sympathy, and I glance around for the source. Nikos is moaning, and it’s not the heady sounds of pleasure that I know he’s capable of. This sound is filled with pain.

Instinct has me swimming downward, searching for the place inside me that is all his in the hope it will guide me in the right direction. The sight of an anemone much like the one in our special cave has me pausing with surprise. Where did that come from? Another pain-filled groan has me flicking my tail hard, giving me a burst of speed toward my mate. I push through the long, flowing tendrils of the sea creature and find my mate curled up as much as he can with such a huge belly. His tail is tight against his body, and his arms are wrapped around his baby bump. Agony is etched into the strained muscles and lines on his face, but his eyes brighten when he sees me.

You’re here. His relief has me moving to his side. I slide my hands into his hair, stroking through the golden mass as I reply to him.

Of course I am. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I lean in and press a kiss to his lush mouth, which is pressed into a grimace. I’m sorry I haven’t been here more often. I’m a terrible mate.

He shakes his head and relaxes slightly under my touch. No, you’re not, but I’m glad you’re here now. He gasps and then rolls away from me, his body twitching, and I watch on, helpless to do anything to make it better. I run my eyes over his body. He told me his sexual slit is where the babies will come out, but so far, it hasn’t opened up, although his belly is way lower than it was the last time I saw him. It’s like it sunk slightly into his groin.

What can I do to help? I ask him as he opens his mouth and bubbles stream out as he starts to pant through what I’m assuming is a contraction.

He can’t answer me, the pain obviously too great, but a hand on my shoulder has me jumping and turning to find Cas has joined us, his tentacles stroking down my back in a soothing manner.

Link said if you rub your tail against his, it should ease some of the ache. He should be swimming too, so lets get him up and in the water. He moves to the side and wraps two tentacles around Nikos, carefully lifting him before swimming backwards through the anemone, wincing as the tendrils sting him but being ever so careful with our panting merman.

I follow after them, feeling a little helpless, but I can hear Caspian whisper to Nikos to unfurl his tail and move it back and forth. It takes a little coaxing, but he listens, and see the instant relief wash over his tight features as he sighs. I dart forward, wrapping my hands around him, his belly pressing against mine as I rub our tails together. He moans, and more tension drains out of him.

That’s good, Cas encourages. I’m surprised I can hear his voice in my head, and I can tell that Nik can too. Now, your tails rubbing together should help Nikos create a secretion to allow the birthing channel to open. Once it does, Lila, you need to let him swim on his own for a little bit. The movement should encourage the babies to move through the birthing channel. Then, when it opens even more, Nik needs to start, and I quote the good doctor, humping the water on the spot. The back and forth movement should help ease the babies out.

I flick my tail again, and we start swimming in slow circles. Cas stays with us, his own tentacles propelling him to keep pace. His encouraging words and tone ease some of my panic as I feel a secretion start to build between our tails. It’s thick, and I think it’s actually leaking from my sexual slit, but we are pressed too close together for me to be able to look down and see for sure. Nik sort of sighs and goes lax in our embrace.

Feels nice, he murmurs as I lift a hand to push back his hair, wishing I had thought to grab hair ties to keep our locks off our faces. Our hair floats and tangles together, but I barely notice, my focus completely on my pregnant mate as I monitor his pain levels.

We swim for about ten minutes in slow circles at the bottom of the cave before his body goes taut in my arms again, and his breathing picks up once more.

Little faster now, Lila. The more we move through the contractions, the better, Cas advises us.

How do you know all this? I ask him, and he taps a finger to his temple.

Xavier has Link in my head, and I’m just repeating all his instructions. He grins. It’s really helpful. Apparently when a mer gives birth on Aquilia, there’s usually a whole maternity team with the expectant parent.

I can’t stop the growl that rumbles up and out into the water, the bubbles big and explosive. As much as I’m hurt that Nixie ignored my attempt to contact her, I’m more angry now. Nikos has basically been abandoned and has done nothing to deserve it. Maybe his mother is no better than his father was. It wouldn’t surprise me, since enduring horrible treatment can make people change—sometimes for the better, but more often than not for the worse. I hope she isn’t making her people suffer as much as she is hurting her son. Otherwise, I may have to have a discussion with my father-in-law and Saxon’s aunt about the Vilaxians and warlocks overthrowing the current Aquilian royal family. That crown is my mate’s birthright, and through him, the first baby we’re about to welcome into this world.

Another groan from Nikos has all of that leaving my brain for now as I focus on his well-being. We do as Link and Cas instruct, and I move us swifter, my tail beating faster. The slick slide between us gets thicker, and I feel his slit open beneath me. I pull back and look down to judge how far it’s opened. It’s a long line, much longer than when his cock pokes out, but the edges are still close together. Cas releases his grip and swims around to have a look. He must be relaying the information to Link, because I see him nod, and then he returns to his place at Nik’s back, rubbing his lower back.

That’s good. The contractions should start coming faster now as the babies move through the channel, but you need to keep rubbing together. It needs to open wide enough to see a baby’s head and allow the tail to pass through, which will be wider than the head. He keeps his voice low and soothing, but I feel my own muscles tighten at the thought. Fuck, poor Nik. That’s going to tear him badly if it doesn’t open farther. I rub harder and faster, my nipples pebbling at the friction as it presses against my clit inside my own sexual slit.

Link suggests you suck on his nipples. It should stimulate the sexual slit open, and they will swell with milk, ready to feed the babies, Cas says. His eyes are heated with lust, and one of his tentacles floats forward and strokes over my tail, sending spikes of pleasure through my body. I lean forward and wrap my lips around Nik’s pebbled nipple, his fingers sliding into my hair as I suck hard before flicking my tongue over the nub. He groans, and his fingers tighten. I swap back and forth between the two, biting and sucking and rolling it around in my mouth, my hands massaging the flesh around it, Caspian holding the two of us together. I pull back and watch in amazement as they start to swell slightly.

Keep massaging them, Cas says huskily in my head as one of his tentacles drifts up to help. Nik throws his head back, leaning it on Cas’s shoulder as I watch his suckers suction onto his nipple. I quiver, remembering how good that feels.

---