Page 28 of Sunken Empire

Zale had asked to take one of them with me at all times, so it's the only reason I warn them before walking out. Assured one of them will undoubtedly be following in my wake, I retrace Zanthus's footsteps from the day before and find the swim hole at the back of the Keep.

Slipping the sundress off my shoulders, I let it pool at my feet in the sand. The first caress of the salty water against my feet tells me I'm exactly where I need to be. Wading out past my knees, I dive the rest of the way in, letting the water completely surround me. The sound of waves crashing against a shore settle down into a calming melody as if patiently awaiting orders.

I don't want to tell the others how much being in this position terrifies me. I don't want to tell them how much reading their history makes me want to run in the other direction. No, what I want to do is keep hiding under the waves for a little longer and ignore responsibilities, curses, and prophecies.

My freedom lasts all of several moments before a hand sneaks around my waist, and lips press against mine. A flash of gold is all I need to know my playful mer is the one to have captured me. As I kiss him back and our tongues tangle, my eyes pop open, realizing I've been underwater much longer than I should be capable of.

I'm greeted with a beautiful tan-skinned, gold-tailed, grinning merman. He's twice as gorgeous underneath the water with those sandy brown locks floating around his head like a halo. A soft glow radiates from around his body like a shadow. It illuminates the gold in both his eyes and tail, sucking me in like we're opposite sides of a magnet at work.

Disregarding the fact that I should have surfaced for air right now, I pull those sinfully pouty lips back to mine. Out of all three brothers, he's the only one who has any kind of scruff on his face, and I love the way it feels rubbing my skin. Working it's way down the side of his head, my hand brushes across his ear, feeling hoops there I'd never noticed. Of course, they're the same yellow gold that stands out against his tan skin.

There's a fizzing of bubbles around us as Zephyr brings us to the surface. By the time we're breaking it, I notice his tail has been swapped out for manly legs again, and a large cock that now pokes into my belly.

"Sorry, little siren," he apologizes, bringing my body flush against his. I wrap my legs around his waist almost lining him up to slide right into me where he belongs. A shudder wracks his body as he adds, "I went outside of the barrier a while ago with Zanthus, so I knew my time would be cut short in here."

"You mean with your tail?" I ask slowly, not seeing the problem with our situation.

When he nods, I close the distance between our mouths and sweep my tongue inside his to erase that apology from them.

Hoping to push some of those buttons hidden underneath that buoyant exterior, I lick his bottom lip while demanding, "Maybe I don't want your tail right now. Maybe I want you inside of me."

The playfulness disappears instantly as one hand locks around the back of my head and he smashes our lips together even tighter than before. It's nothing for him to powerfully angle my head just enough for his tongue to raid every dark corner, leaving none without his scent. Distracting me with the kiss, his other hand works between our bodies until it's brushing the inside of my thighs, which clench around him in anticipation.

With the first swipe of his thumb through my folds, I let out a hiss of pleasure that he quickly swallows. Then a finger is dipping inside followed quickly by another, and that gold thread hums to life behind my eyelids. We're moving and I couldn't care less to where since he's yet to retract those skillful fingers and tongue from my body.

It's not until my back is pressed against a solid wall that I bother to open my eyes. The molten gold has almost completely swallowed his pupils whole as he slides his fingers out of me and lines his cock up with my entrance. A flash of metal at his neck catches my attention, and I grudgingly force him to pause.

"Give me your necklace," I tell him.

As if his life depends on it, that jewelry is off his neck and onto mine before I take my next breath. Removing the hesitancy in his expression, I impale myself on him.

My name is a drawn-out moan slipping quietly through his clenched teeth, and I feast on the sound.

I may have just taken control to get us started, but that was only because I knew he was afraid of the necklace hurting me. I could see it in his eyes. It's still there if I look hard enough, but the pleasure and inevitability of our mating outweighs what has shown to be nothing more than a flesh wound.

He starts moving, and my head falls back against the wall. I've never had sex in any kind of water before, but if I had, I'd bet it would still be nothing compared to this. Not only is the personified god whom I've got myself secured around like a wrapper on a candy bar awakening every female nerve ending in my body, but the water seems to be encouraging him along while brushing my skin like a second pair of hands.

Dragging my lips across Zeph's jawline and up to his ear, I suck the bottom gold hoop through my teeth and can't help the soft groan. "How have I not seen these before?"

Zephyr chuckles, his warm breath fanning out against my neck.

"You should wear your hair up, so I can see them more." My plea ends on a gasp as he sucks on the spot where my shoulder meets my neck. Apparently, Zanthus isn't the only one with a sweet spot.

"Zeph, please," I beg.

His hips arch into me, picking up their pace with each stroke. Either our angle or the water, likely both, tickles the bundle of nerves that hold the power of my release. Our pants and sharp breathing mingle with the sound of the waves lapping at the shore. As if sensing I'm close, Zephyr shifts our bodies slightly closer to shore. Dipping his head beneath the water, he successfully distracts me for a moment as I watch his hair floating around us. Then his mouth closes over my left nipple and it sucks the breath straight from my chest.

I don't worry about him needing to breathe underwater without his necklace or the fact that my skin is about to become an inferno of pain. When I feel his teeth graze the sensitive bud, my core clenches around him so tightly I wonder how he even fit in the first place, and then I'm shattering into shards of gold within his arms. Half a second later, his head breaches the surface, slinging water around us as he shouts his release.

Running my fingers through his hair, we ride out the waves of pleasure together. In the moment of bliss, I completely forget about the talisman. It's barely begun to sting before Zephyr rips it from my neck and tosses it on shore where it explodes into a cloud of gold-colored dust. Just like Zanthus' did.

Zephyr brushes a trail of water across what can't be more than a soft red mark, but I feel it going to work nonetheless.

It must heal, because a satisfied smile takes over his face before he tucks his head beneath my chin.

"I think I'm in love with you, little siren," he whispers between us.

My heart stutters in my chest. Everything has been moving along so fast that I never stopped to think about just how little time I've had to accept all that they've thrown at me. Especially this mate business. Seemingly placing both our paths and hearts in their hands. Not that I'd change it for anything, because I know even without the bonds of mates, it would be easy to let myself fall for any one of these brothers let alone all three. But that doesn't mean his words don't take me by surprise.

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