Page 88 of Call of the Fathoms

He stared at her, those dark eyes seeing too much. “Again,” he growled.

“I can’t.”

“You can. Give me three, virago. At least three.”

She stared at him, feeling the empty ache as he withdrew his cock from her channel, only to plunge back in with the other one. It was still hard. His second cock was still so hard.

As she bounced, completely at his mercy, she realized she could come again. If he kept doing this, if he kept up this pressure and the mesmerizing touch of his fingers, she wouldn’t have a choice.

And she did. Embarrassingly fast. She clenched around him and he threw his head back in a groan she felt all the way to her core. Together, they disappeared in this secret place, surrounded by the ocean as their voices echoed through the empty chamber.

She’d never felt more loved or more connected to another person in her life. And yet...

As she panted and laid her head down on his chest, she couldn’t help but feel empty. Even with his cock still twitching inside her, she feared the future that was coming. He was so certain she would kill him.

Alexia feared he was right.

Thirty-Six

Fortis

Fortis would have luxuriated in that cave for the rest of his life. Having her draped over his chest, pressed against his hearts that now thundered for her, it was an experience he wasn’t likely to forget. Unfortunately, they both knew this was the only chance they would get.

Their time was limited, not just because of his death, but because of what they had to do. Soon enough, they would find themselves in the depths of a war, and they were both integral parts.

So he woke her when she drifted off to sleep with quiet words and even more quiet touches. He pressed lingering kisses to her shoulders, breathing in the scent of her skin before he helped her put on the suit. Not that she needed it, but Mira would want it back now that they all knew it worked.

As he swam back toward their village, he felt a pit in his stomach open. He didn’t want this to end. That was the hardest part of all of this. Fortis wanted to stay with her and live for a little while longer.

He’d known about his death for such a long time, but nothing had prepared him for a moment when he didn’t want to go. He’d been so ready for such a long time, and now? Now he wasn’t even remotely ready. All he wanted was to stay just a few more days.

What if the depthstriders changed their mind? They were only fighting for revenge. Once he died, would they change their mind? It wasn’t entirely out of the question. They were a fickle bunch, and they preferred to help their own rather than anyone else. They could decide that they would not fight, and there would be no one left to argue with them.

The other part of himself, the less anxious side that floated through the sea with her in his arms, wanted to see what happened with the sea. The humans and People of Water working together, after all this time. He wanted to swim through the cities they would build, and he knew they would be great. He wanted to see Anya and Ace lead a group of humans toward fixing the land above. He wanted to see all the beauty that would come from the partnership between so many who had hated each other for so long.

Just before they reached the village, Alexia reached up and cupped his jaw. He stopped swimming instantly, and looked down at the strong, capable woman he somehow was lucky enough to have in his arms.

“Fortis?” she asked.

“What is it, virago?”

“I just want you to know that my time with you has been the best part of my life. I don’t think I ever even knew how to live before you showed me, and I want you to know how grateful I am for it. No matter what happens.”

He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to drag her back to the facility with all that glass, and watch as she arched her back as she came. There were so many more things he wanted to try with her, but time was not on their side.

Sighing, he ran his hand down her back and looked at her instead. “I will never forget you, virago. Not in this life, or the next. You have changed the way I see this world, and for that, I am also grateful. I am lucky that you were kind enough to not kill me the first moment you saw me.”

She snorted. “You’re lucky you’re a fast bastard, or I would have.”

They grinned at each other, the threats of the past long forgiven. And he would have stayed forever, smiling at her with all the hope he could feel in his hearts, but they did not have the luxury of time.

“Father!” Aulax’s voice called out. “We’re ready.”

What did he mean they were ready? They couldn’t be ready, not yet. There were still many things for them to do, and figure out, and they needed to plan. But by the time he coasted them into the village, he could see there were plenty who had already planned without them.

“How much did you tell them before we left?” he asked, heading to the main meeting area of the village.

“Everything,” she said. “I gave them all the access codes I had, and every single map I could remember. I gave them access to Tau’s inner workings and changed the codes in one of those droids to make it look like it was coming from my ship.”

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