Page 12 of Pregnant With Their Babes

For a couple of seconds, silence hung between them at Llyr’s admission.

“I thought we were allowing him to rest his voice, Dagr?” Oz asked, arching a brow. “He clearlyneedsthe rest.”

Ignoring his best friend, Dagr scoffed. “A merman.Of courseyou are. And I’m the King of the Fae.”

Llyr spun and offered an odd movement that was part curtsy, part bow—Dagr was unsure exactly what the man was doing. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty.” He rose back to his full height. “What is Fae? A place? I would very much like to go there and see your world. Are they all as beautiful as you are?”

Dagr swallowed back the emotion filling him. “Fae arefairies.” When Llyr seemed confused, Dagr continued. “Myths. Theyaren’treal.” Dagr paused, unsettled by their conversation—or more, the lack of Llyr’s understanding. “I am no king. Just as you are no merman.”

“Oh, Iama merman,” Llyr answered. He lowered the lantern to the table and closed the gap between them. He lifted his hand to Dagr’s cheek and caressed it—the skin sensually soft. The same jolt of lightning crashed through him at the simplest touch. “I’m real. Can you not feel me?”

Dagr met Llyr’s intense stare and was lost in it. Again, he was the drowning man. He reached for Llyr’s hand and removed it from his face, fearing he’d be swallowed whole by whatever enchantment the man was weaving around them. “I can feel you, alright. But it proves nothing.”

Llyr tugged his hand away and pouted before revisiting the lantern. He once again lifted it, seemingly entranced.

Dagr eyed Oz, whose shock was clear to see.

Oz ran a hand through his too-long locks, seeming out of sorts. “If you’re a merman, where’s your tail?”

“It’ll return in seven days,” Llyr said, as he unbolted the small aperture on the lantern that the cabin boy had closed. “Or so the Enchantress said.”

“Enchantress?” Oz asked, clearly as intrigued as Dagr.

Magic, it is.

Llyr suddenly reached in andtouchedthe flame. He screamed in pain, dropping the lantern. Fortunately, Dagr had moved close enough that he was able to catch it before a catastrophe happened. He righted the lamp and placed it on the desk, out of Llyr’s reach.

When he circled back to face them, he saw Llyr with his finger between two, pink lips and a frightened scowl ridging his brow.

A wave of want raced through Dagr. Not only did he crave to protect, but he desired more.

To claim…

After caring for the man, he sought to touch and taste those soft-looking, pale pink lips. Dagr wished to see his cock thrusting between them before he slid deep into the man’s tight hole. That’s where he yearned to get lost.

Forever.

He took a step forward to offer aid, but Oz swept in and took Llyr’s hand, inspecting it for damage.

Dagr again fought the tiny bit of jealousy spiraling in his chest. He and Oz had been friends for over twenty-five years. They sailed the high seas for over three-quarters of that time. And had been lovers for many of them. Theyquite oftenshared a man—or the occasional woman—between them. Jealousy was something neither of them had ever struggled with.

He’d always felt confident in his bond with Oz.

Now—he experienced envy for the first time in his life. It was such a foreign concept.

And he didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“Whydoes it hurt?” Llyr moaned, tears shining in his eyes.

“Fire can burn… so we must treat it with respect,” Oz said. “It can also destroy.”

“Why would you keep something destructive so close?” Llyr asked, clearly confused.

Oz took a step back, appearing as if he searched for a way to answer such a basic question. Something even a child should know. Fire was a part of daily life for them all. Both he and Oz stood there, confused.

Dagr finally spoke up, feeling inane answering Llyr like he would a child. “Because… when carefully tended… it brings light to the darkness and heat when we’re chilled. It cooks our food. There are many things it can do… when used properly. But not handled safely… it can cause chaos.”

Llyr didn’t look completely mollified by that answer, but he seemed unwilling to push further.

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