Page 23 of Where the Current Takes Him
Loriun
Beau was staring out at the sunlit cityscape, but Loriun couldn’t seem to tear his eyes from Beau. The way his sandy hair shone gold in the sun, the sweet scent that rose from his scalp, and the way his thin shirt caught on his collarbones. Some part of Loriun still believed that, if he looked away for too long, this perfect human would disappear. What he had learned at the clinic only made him want to keep Beau even closer—to shield him from further abuse.
Loriun’s gaze trailed along the gentle waves in Beau’s hair, wondering if it felt as soft as it looked.
“Beau?”
The Omega lifted his face. “Yeah?”
“I have also never felt a human’s hair before. May I…?”
Beau’s cheeks shifted into a shade of pink—an interesting reaction Loriun had yet to puzzle out.
“Um… Sure.” Beau tilted his head slightly towards Loriun’s shoulder. Something stirred in him as he ran his claws across Beau’s scalp. His hair was so soft, and so fragile. It felt as though one firm tug might snap half the strands.
A muffled sound came from Beau’s throat. Loriun removed his hand immediately. “Apologies, did I hurt you?”
“No.” Beau’s voice was strained. “Your nails… Human scalps are sensitive.”
Loriun frowned. Sensitive but not painful? “I will keep that in mind.”
The pair lingered at the glass for a while longer, before Loriun suggested they get something to eat.
“There is a restaurant on the floor below,” he told Beau as he tapped the down arrow on the elevator. “It caters to both Mer and human tastes.”
The lunch rush was only just beginning, and their server was able to seat them at a window. Miami sprawled before them, little flashes of passing cars shining in the sunlight. Beau only tore his eyes from it when a menu was placed in front of him.
“Our human menu,” the waiter said. “And our Mer menu.” He set it in front of Loriun. “I’ll give you some time to look them over.”
As the smaller Mer bustled off, Loriun flipped his menu open, scanning their list of fresh-caught fish.
“Wow, it’s a good thing I like seafood,” Beau commented. “I’m pretty sure everything here contains fish.”
Loriun gently took the human menu from Beau’s hands. It was nearly identical to his own, with a few additions. His brow furrowed. “What is ‘breaded?’ Surely they do not stuff a loaf of bread with fish.”
Beau laughed. “No, it’s like a layer of fried breadcrumbs or flour and egg.”
Loriun’s nose wrinkled. “You humans and your grains.”
“What, Mer don’t eat grains?”
“It is inefficient to harvest something so small.”
“If I order the fish and chips, will you try it?” Beau was grinning at him, making it impossible for Loriun to decline the offer.
“Technically, I believe I can digest wheat and chicken eggs,” he said, though the idea was less than appealing.
“It’s good, I promise. What are you going to get?”
Loriun dropped his gaze to the list of fish again. “Hmm. They have a grouper tartare that looks good.”
Beau cocked his head. “Doesn’t that have egg?”
“They replace the egg with shirako for Mer dishes.”
“Shirako? What’s—”
Their server’s reappearance cut Beau’s question short. “Are you ready to order?”
