Llyr’s body seemed created for them. Voracious to experience their little merman shatter between them, he quickened their pace while moving one hand to the base of Llyr’s thick root. Oz already had a hand there, pulsing up and down the shaft. He added his above, moving in tandem to bring their little lover to completion.

His sweet cries of pleasure were music to Dagr’s ears. Llyr thrashed his head against Dagr’s chest, waving it back and forth as commands for them to give him “more” and “harder” fell from his mouth. Dagr dug his fingers through the silky strands of Llyr’s copper-colored hair and forced the man’s head back so he could nip and lick at those pink lips—swallowing their lover’s cries.

They kept driving, filling Llyr over and over again—Dagr searching for absolution. Like the dance Llyr had been so compelled with on deck, they moved with practiced perfection. Oz leaned in to kiss Llyr’s lips… and then inclined further to claim Dagr’s mouth for a moment before returning to kiss Llyr again.

They were one body. One entity. Giving and taking with equal abandon.

When he finally came, it was as if the world stopped. He cried out, blasting Llyr with a thick flood of cum. Oz followed behind him seconds later, filling their lover. Their roars of completion filled the cabin. Everyone on the shiphadto hear them—and for once, Dagr didn’t care. They’d marked their male, and he wantedeveryoneto know Llyr was theirs.

Forever.

Once they crashed down to earth, he sought to ease from Llyr’s body—yet their omega struggled to let them go. Llyr’s spasming muscles clenched their cocks—his body tight. After a couple of moments—when they’d finally untangled—they lay there, breathing loudly. A jumble of arms and legs, cocks and smiling lips, all floating in the aftermath. The ship slowly rocked back and forth, a slow, soothing sway. As he calmed, questions circled inside his mind.

Yet he refused to speak and destroy the unearthly calm spreading over him.

Eventually the questions clawed at him. In the frenzied moments before and during, he’d almost believed Llyr was what he claimed to be. Even now, lingering doubt filled him. The reaction to Llyr had been strange and he had to understand the compulsion that had claimed him. “Whatwasthat?”

“I’ve never felt something so…chaotic,” Oz said, turning his attention to Llyr. “I was out of control, yetcompletelycontrolled. I couldn’t stop myself from having you. Is that how it is with a merman?”

“No. I think… I think I might be in heat,” Llyr murmured between breaths.

“In heat?” Oz asked. “What does that mean?”

“The witch said your males do not get pregnant… so I assumed your females do. Do they not go into heat?”

“Femaleanimalsgo into heat,” Oz said. “Humans don’t.”

Llyr’s face seemed to get redder. “Oh. I was unaware.”

“A female animal goes into heat when she can become pregnant. Canyou… become… pregnant?” Dagr asked, even as he knew it was insane to ask. Of course a man was incapable of becoming pregnant. But he was unable to explain away what had just happened.

“You and Oz aren’t mermen. Nor did you lock within me… so I’m quite sure it’s impossible for you to put a babe on me,” Llyr answered.

“You’re quite sure?” Dagr asked. “But notabsolutelysure?”

Oz glared in warning. Dagr forced himself to not talk sense into Llyr.

But he also realized what had transpired between them was abnormal. More magic? Dagr doubted it. If he was honest with himself, he had sensed all along there was no magic manipulating their emotions. Yes, he realized there was some kind of spellwork surrounding Llyr—a masking of some kind. What he did comprehend was the magic’s tentacles were absent—nothing extended to him nor Oz. At least he didn’t think it did. If it was more powerful than he realized, perhaps it was beyond him and his senses.

“We’re two different species,” Llyr said. “And as I said, you’re incapable oflocking within me.”

Oz’s eyebrow rose. “Lock? Wedidhave a hard time pulling out.”

“An alpha merman has a muscle at the base of his penis. It locks him to his omega forseveralminutes—until their seed has been deposited into the omega’s womb. That, of course, didnothappen. It was only a moment, and you soon pulled out.”

Dagr exchanged confused looks with Oz.

“How long does this heat of yours last?” Oz asked.

“Usually a couple of days,” Llyr said. “But since this is my first, it could be off a bit. The firsts sometimes are.” He smiled. “My first heat.Andmy first encounter.”

“You’re a virgin?” Oz asked, shock in his tone.

“There’s no way a virgin could’ve taken us both,” Dagr replied. “Not without pain.”

“Well…theoreticallyI’ve never been with another—but Ihaveused anolisboson myself. To prepare me for my first time.” He frowned. “I should’ve used a bigger one—but I never expected two.”

“What’s an olisbos?” Oz asked, cocking a brow.