Page 76 of Where the Current Takes Him
Loriun considered the question. “Concerned. Humans are hairy and not always clean.”
“Hey!” Beau said, outraged.
“What? I did not sayyouare hairy and unclean.”
Beau rubbed his temples. So this was what an interspecies relationship was like. “I just mean that it’s interesting. You’re the only Mer I’ve seen naked, and there are three other sex and gender combinations.”
“Ah.” Loriun glanced around. “I suppose it would be intriguing for a human to see such diversity.”
“How do you tell everyone apart? It’s a lot more obvious with humans. Usually.”
“Well, Alphas are always bigger than Omegas,” Loriun began. “And Alphas are usually more vibrant. Omegas tend to be duller in color for camouflage. Then female Mer typically have slimmer faces and higher voices. Males also have a small pair of triangular fins at the base of the tail, while females have one, long fin that runs from the base to the tail fin.”
“So if you want to know someone’s gender, you have to look at their ass?”
Loriun choked on his wine. “Most Mer simply wait for the other to speak, orask.”
“Ask? It’s cool to just walk up and say, ‘Hey what gender are you?’ ”
“No, we ask how we may refer to them.Yai ruserwe avni?”
“Yai ruserwe avni?”Beau repeated.
Loriun nodded, looking pleased. “Not bad.”
“But what exactly does it mean?” Beau persisted. Humans were forbidden from learning Loasish, but surely a few words and phrases wouldn’t hurt.
“Yai,I.Ruser,call.We,you.Avni,how,” Loriun replied. “If you directly translate the sentence into English, it becomes ‘I call you how?’ ”
Beau hummed. “Interesting. I wonder how difficult it would be for a human to learn.”
“You already speak two languages,” Loriun pointed out. “I am certain you would be able to pick it up.”
“I wish I could,” Beau mumbled. “I feel like a stereotypical American tourist here.”
“You may learn Loaish,” Loriun said, looking confused.
“I thought it wasn’t allowed? For Mer security or something.”
“Human mates of Mer are an exception. You signed a document preventing you from spreading information regarding Paeil and the Mer, did you not?”
Beau blinked. The stack of paperwork he’d signed before arriving… One of the documents swam to the forefront of his mind.
Beaumont Montgomery, henceforth known as “Omega,” shall hold and maintain all information regarding the Mer in strictest confidence. Omega shall carefully restrict access to information when in communication with any members of the human government, referring in part to Gainesville Chief of Interspecies Relations, Ashford Montgomery.
“I forgot,” he said truthfully. “So that means I can take classes or something?”
“I will arrange it when we return home.”
“Loriun!” a voice from behind Beau called.
This is it. It’s finally happened. I’m going to come face to face with an ex.
Loriun’s gaze darted up. “Keld, good afternoon.”
Beau steeled himself and glanced over his shoulder. An instantaneous wave of relief struck him—an Alpha. But this Mer couldn’t look more different from Loriun. His scales glittered as if he’d been plated in gold, smoothly transitioning to a shimmering cream hue along his belly and face. The edges of his fins darkened to a shade of bronze and the long tailfin behind him came to a strange point.
“How’s remote treating you?” Keld asked, coming to a halt beside their table.
