Page 11 of Tempting Triton
“That is something I would like to know, too. If you were able to come through it, then perhaps my family can too, and return home to me.” He stares out the window towardsthe coral reef I know is there, but can’t make out in the dark. The barrier must be out beyond it somewhere.
“I can take you out there. I have to go back and investigate again, since I was distracted the first time.” He grins at me sheepishly, then flips upwards in such a strong, fluid motion, I can’t help but appreciate his grace in the water. I definitely need to see this barrier for myself. If I can get in, then I can get out. I can solve the mate bond problem once I’m free.
“I would like that, but there’s something we need to do first.”
11
Triton
As dawn breaks and the sea around us gradually lightens from a murky black to a sun-dappled blue, my Elena and I swim back towards the shore where I first found her. In my frenzy, I did not stop to check for anyone else amongst the metal wreckage, but my Elena has told me there were other women with her, so we must go and see if they are alright and help them if they are not.
I watch my mate paddle beside me, admiring her powerful form as she surges through the water. The Fates have picked the perfect mate for me, strong and brave. She was born for the water. If she should have a tail, she would rival me in speed. My competitive side is eager to put her skills to the test, but later. I gather that this is important to my Elena and do not wish to distract her.
“We should check those out on the way back.” My mate points to what I now know are called shipping containers that have sunkto the sea floor, their doors wide open, with their guts hidden in shadow in the depths of the sea. “They must have fallen off the ship the same time ours did.”
I nod, a shiver wracking my body as we pass over the containers. A physical sensation I had long since forgotten, and not felt since my youth during the cool season, has me questioning if it is the hulking dark masses beneath us or something else that elicits this physical response. An ominous feeling, sitting in the back of my thoughts, reminds me that I need to get back and check the barrier, and soon.
The water noticeably warms as it shallows, the blue of the sea and the silver of light sparkle and shimmer as it ebbs and flows. Small shoals of Marides break apart around us to reform at our backs. My Elena sighs, a dreamy look on her face as she eyes the small fish and the way their bodies sparkle when they dart to and fro, feeding on plankton too small for the naked eye.
“The Marides make me think of you.”
Elena cocks an eyebrow at me in question, and I grin.
“Beautiful.”
Shesnorts.
“And delicious.”
Her cheeks blossom with a pink flush, and a slight hint of her arousal permeates the water around us. She shakes her head with a huff and pushes ahead of me in the water, leaving me to chuckle to myself behind her. I do not mind that she is ahead of me, though, as now I can watch the thick muscles in her thighs and buttocks tighten and elongate with every one of her kicks, something I would not have had the chance to admire if she had a tail like my kind.
The wrecked container sits shallow enough that the sand brushes against our bellies, its darkened rust color like a burst of blood against the white of the sand. So very obviously out of place on Aeolia’s shores.
“You will wait here, and I will check for the others.”
Elena opens her mouth to argue.
“You cannot breathe above the water until my essence wears off.”
Her mouth shuts with a huff. “But you don’t have legs. How will you look for the others?”
“I have eyes, do I not? I will call the water to me to raise the tide so I can swim closer to the shore.”
“Don’t tell me you can control the ocean.”
“Okay, I will not tell you I can control the ocean.”
I am already raising the conch shell tied around my neck to my mouth to issue a short, sharp blow, when I’m sure I hear her mutter ‘this fucking guy’ to herself. She shakes her head, but then pauses all movement to watch me with intense scrutiny.
A minute passes. Nothing happens, and I just know my mate is dying to question me.
“Just wait, my Elena.”
“Hmph.” She crosses her arms in front of her chest, her soft, plump lips turning into a pout. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”
I chuckle. From our short encounter, I already know my Elena must always have the last word.
She gasps softly as the tide rises and deepens around us, waves crashing overhead to caress the shore at the influx of seawater. Her sense of wonder is a beautiful thing, and I vow in this moment that I will show her more of the ocean’s secrets and treasures if only to see her eyes sparkle with the same unrestrained joy as they do now.
