Page 66 of Pregnant With Their Babes

“Was my mother… a mermaid?” Oz asked.

“She was,” King Augustine said. “One of the most beautiful to ever swim the oceans.”

Llyr gasped… that meant that Oz was of both worlds.

His father continued. “That is—before I exiled her and took her tail away.”

Llyr hissed. He couldn’t imagine never having his tail again. That had to have been torment for her. His father was cruel.

“You tortured her— for choosing me over you,” the human king cried. “She never got over the loss of her life beneath the sea. Deandra could’ve had both had you not stolen that from her.”

“She made her choice,” King Augustine said. “You and the land. And she died because of that choice.”

Llyr turned to his father, shocked. “You loved another before Papa?”

“I never loved your Papa,” his father spat. “I learned to never give my heart to anyone after losing Deandra.”

His father had made him feel guilty for his papa’s death most of his life. To learn the merman had never loved his papa… stung. “No… younevergave your heart to anyone,” Llyr murmured. “Not even your own children.”

His father glared a moment… and then something seemed to snap inside him. He seemed to lack the same edge to his anger.

“A scroll was found many years ago. It foretold the birth of an omega prince who would bond with a half-merman and a magical human. That omega would wear a mark of a shell… and his children would cause the destruction of both our worlds.” King Augustine sighed before he spun to Oz and the king. “Llyr wears the shell mark… and I’ve always assumed one of Deandra’s sons might be his mate.” He cast a look at Dagr. “I suppose you’re the one with magic in his blood.”

Dagr was silent before capturing Llyr’s stare. Llyr sensed sadness there… so bottomless it threatened to swallow them all whole.

“Together, you three spell doom for theentire world—above and below. Can you all live with that?” his father asked.

Llyr focused his gaze on Oz and Dagr, anguish filling him. How could the strong bonds they all seemed to sense bring death and destruction to everything they knew?

Together, they were… right… they all realized it. Everything within him screamed that this was meant to be. He shook his head, his eyes welling. “No… it can’t be true.”

“Staying with them will mean the end toeverything,” Llyr’s father murmured. “I sought to save you this pain, Llyr. And I failed. I’m so sorry I failed you…and them.” He raised his trident. “Iwilldo what needs to be done in order to save our worlds. Even if it meanskillingyour mates.”

“No!” Llyr screamed, spreading his arms out and using his body to protect the two, but he was too late.

His father sent a massive shot from his trident—but before it hit, Dagr roared and lifted his hands. A glow of magic came from him and propelled forward—striking his father’s spell. Dagr was no match for the trident’s strength, though. His father’s shattered Dagr’s magic with ease and collided into both Dagr and Oz—as well as the human king. They all screamed and went to their knees in pain. Flashes of magic shot all over them, keeping them in agony.

Llyr gasped, unable to breathe.

His father’s magic should have killed them all. Yet they were still alive. His heart soared. Dagr had somehow weakened his father’s spell.

King Augustine lifted the trident to hit again, but Llyr threw himself against his father. “Stop this!Please!”

“Leave this world behind. Wed Alphonse and reunite our realms. Promise me you will—and I’ll let them live.”

“Stay,” Oz said as he trembled in pain.

Dagr reached for him.“Llyr.”

Llyr eyed his humans through the shine of tears. “Iwon’tbe the reason our worlds die.”I won’t be the reasontheydie.His heart shattered into a million pieces, understanding he had to let them go if he was to save them. Spinning, he strode closer.

“Llyr,”his father warned.

“You can give me a moment to say goodbye, can’t you?” Llyr refused to wait for an answer from his father. He raced closer, his legs trembling under him. Once he neared them, he reached out and caressed both their faces. “If the only way to save you is to walk away—I shall.” He knelt between the pair and kissed each one, in turn.

The magic still had them in pain. “Release them from this spell, father.”

“When we are gone.”

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