Page 27 of Alien Triton's Prize

Time to get out there and neutralize the threat before someone got hurt.

Gazing down at Vera’s sleeping body, I fought the urge to crawl back under the blankets with her. I wanted to bury my face between her thighs again and fuck her until we both couldn’t move. She had to be sore, even though she’d claimed she was ready for me.

I leaned in close and inhaled our mingled scents, trying to commit them to memory. How I wanted to fall asleep with her right now. But that would have to wait.

I carefully rolled off the bed without waking her, then strapped my harness back on. I found two of my guards confronting Algrim in my garden. Seeing me, they backed off but stayed close in case I needed assistance.

“Why are you sneaking around my estate, Algrim?”

“I’d hardly call it sneaking around. I’m simply here to visit my brother. I heard you acquired a new human bride. I’mveryhurt you decided to hide it from me.” He clutched at his chest in mock indignation.

I didn’t like the way he said that, implying Vera was no more than a business acquisition.

“I’d hardly call it hiding,” I said, sending his own words back to him. “I have been busy. We haven’t made an official announcement, nor have we planned the celebration yet.”

“Where is she now?” He peered around me as if trying to see into my home.

“She’s sleeping.”

“Well, go wake her up. I want to meet my new sister.”

“I’ll do no such thing. You can meet her at the official announcement. We are making it the day after the Selach Swim at the family estate.”

“Still participating in that, I see.”

“Of course. It is tradition.” I gave my guards the signal to approach. “Now, is there any other reason you are here?”

Because he sure wasn’t here to spend time with me.

My guards came closer and Algrim left, not even bothering to ask about Cetia or myself.

What a jerk.

Chapter 14

Vera

“Oooh! I’m so excited. I love watching the Selach Swim!” Cetia was putting yet another decoration in her hair.

For someone who didn’t really wear clothing, she was adorned to the nines today. She had silver tinselly strands clipped into her hair, and so many gems and shells that if she was out of the water, the weight would have been overwhelming. Silver and midnight blue patterns were drawn all over her tail and torso. They reminded me of stylized corals.

There were dark smoky rings drawn around her eyes, and her lips were painted a frosty purple. She also had a fancy harness around her torso that functioned as her version of a purse.

I had one too, but it wasn’t encrusted with gems and inlaid with mother of pearl. Now that I actually had belongings here, though, it was nice to have something in which to carry them around. I had my new contact conch, of course, which was not only a way for me to reach Cetius if we got separated but also a way for me to pay for goods and services around Coral’s Deep.

I always kept a tiny container of the salve with me too; I found it very soothing for my skin, and I even used it sometimes as lip balm. I also kept a teeny tiny blade that I used instead of claws whenever I encountered packaging or anything else designed for those with claws or suckers.

Then there were the very useful devices I’d learned about from another human on the forums living in Coral’s Deep. They looked like latex gloves when crumpled up but were actually disposable one-time-use connectors that helped me use the public facilities.

All in all, I was slowly and surely adapting to life under the sea. Cetius and I were heading out on our trip to the surface in a few days, technically our honeymoon, but today was special as well. As Cetia couldn’t stop reminding me, it was the Selach Swim.

The Selach Swim happened every year on the same day. They closed off the streets, installed barriers along the sides to protect the audience, then released a giant selach into the area. The participants, mostly young males in their prime and, in recent years, females with something to prove, swam from the starting point to the end without getting eaten.

Surviving wasn’t the only goal. It was also a race, and the first one who passed the finish line would be crowned the Selach Prince for the year—or Princess. The problem was, they didn’t know where the selach would be roaming, and this one was no juvenile like I’d seen on the reef. This selach could, andwould, eat a Thalassonian whole. Being first also meant you “won” the opportunity to face the selach first as well.

Personally, I thought it was absolutely bonkers, and I doubled down on my beliefs when I found out that Cetius was running, or rather swimming, in it this year. He swam iteveryyear, in fact,and had even held the title of the Selach Prince once when he was younger.

Cetia had her eye on chatting up this year’s Prince or one of the runners-up. Me? I just didn’t want my husband to get chomped a few days before our honeymoon.

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