Page 49 of Where the Current Takes Him
Zicoi shook her head at her daughter. “To answer your question, Beau, the old religion teaches us to thank the gods and goddesses for their gifts. If we fail to do so, they will take back that which they provided in retaliation. Just as any being does not wish to be taken advantage of, so, too, do the gods and goddesses.”
Fauos was watching his mate with a dreamy expression.
“Agith is the goddess of life, so we must thank her for the food we eat, lest she bring disease or famine,” Zicoi finished.
Fauos sighed. “I do love to hear her talk about the old ways. I was raised in a more modernized home. I feel as though I was denied a piece of my culture, particularly here on this alien planet.”
For obvious reasons, Beau was not the biggest fan of religion as a whole, but something about the Mer’s old way of life fascinated him. Perhaps it was easier for him to distance himself from traditions of another species.
“How many gods and goddesses are there?” Beau asked, now cutting into a much safer tuna steak. Smoky, crispy, flaky… He had to actively restrain his eyes from rolling back into his head.
“There are four, one for each sex,” Zicoi answered. “Agith, the Alpha goddess of life; Noivux, the Alpha god of currents and sea; Xui, the Omega god of the sky; and Turys, the Omega goddess of the depths and afterlife.”
“Turys is badass,” Oiwin interjected. “If I had to pray to someone, it would be her.”
Fauos winced. “I do not think we should refer to the ancient deities as ‘badass.’ ”
“And you are an Alpha,” Zicoi scolded. “Your allegiance would be to Agith.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Oiwen leaned down to shovel an entire fish head into her mouth.
Beau watched in disgusted admiration as his mate’s sister crushed the fish skull between her teeth and swallowed. She was an Alpha, like Loriun.
Does that mean her cock is the same size as—
“Why don’t you tell us about yourself, Beau?” Fauos said. He was neatly working his way through a bowl of seaweed salad: a stark contrast to his daughter.
Beau felt his face heat up.
Well I definitely wasn’t thinking about both of your children’s dicks, Mr. Valhn.
“Oh, um.” Beau struggled to think of something to say that wouldn’t open Pandora’s box. “Well, I’m the only childin my family. My mom is Cuban and my dad… Well you’ve probably heard of him.”
Loriun’s parents exchanged confused looks.
“Did Loriun not mention this?” A nervous laugh escaped him. “My father is Ashford Montgomery. The head of Interspecies Relations in Gainesville?”
“Ah.” Zicoi’s face darkened. “Yes, I know of him. He is… quite successful.”
“Yeah.” Beau shifted in his seat awkwardly. “Uh. Anyway… So I’m their only son. I’m twenty-four, and I graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Public Relations.”
“Public Relations?” Oiwen wrinkled her nose. “No offense, but UF’s art college is way better.”
“It must have been an interesting field to study,” Fauos said politely. “Given your father’s career.”
Beau scoffed. “I hated it. Barely got my degree. It was my dad’s idea.”
“So…” Zicoi hesitated for a moment. “Your father…”
Chapter 21
Loriun
Loriun examined Beau’s face. His lips were pressed in a tight line, and a muscle in his jaw jumped beneath the smooth skin.
“I have heard quite a lot of things about Ashford Montgomery,”Riuesaid carefully. “Despite his position, he seems to have some difficulty accepting the existence of the Mer on your planet.”
Beau dropped his gaze to his half-empty plate. “He has difficulty with a lot of things.”
