Page 100 of Pregnant With Their Babes

Llyr held his brother’s elbow as they slowly marched across the beach to meet his mates at the temporary altar built for their special occasion. He was glad for the assistance. His belly grew larger by the day, to the point Llyr struggled to see his feet. He lifted his stare to the end of the aisle of flower petals. How they’d gotten so many this early in the spring, he had no idea—they’d likely claimed every poor flower barely sprouting from the warming earth.

His Ozzy and Dagr stood waiting for him to arrive, broad smiles on their faces. Guests lined the beach and the water. Merfolk from far and wide had come to witness the marriage of a merman to two men—the fathers and papa of heroes to come. He rubbed his palm over his swollen stomach, nearly five months along. By summer, his sons would be born and he anxiously awaited their arrival.

Amyr smiled down at him as they traversed the petals. “You’re sure this world is what you wish for?”

“It is,” Llyr murmured happily. “I can still visit whenever I wish, as you recall.”

“True, but living here most of your days? It has to be odd to walk on two legs for longer than a few hours. Even now I itch to return to the sea.”

“I have a very good reason to remain here. The men I love call this place home. They were away from it longer than I was alive. I refuse to pull them from it now.”

“Did they evenconsiderliving in your world?”

“I never asked—largely because Dagrisn’tone of our kind.”

“Yet I’ve seen him swim under the waves with you.”

Llyr nodded. “Magic. And it takes a lot of out of him to do so. We can swim for an hour or two, but after that, he struggles to continue.”

“Weak human,” Amyr murmured.

“You sound like father.”

Amyr grumbled. “Neversay that again.”

“Don’t force me to,” Llyr whispered.

Amyr chuckled.

As they neared the front of the makeshift cathedral, he smiled at Oz’s new family—King Claus and Queen Simerelda. He even gave a brief smile to Alphonse, who had so thus far been on his best behavior—as their ring bearer. Llyr’s other brother, Eammon, was there as well—carrying a small glass fishbowl with Prawnsby inside. There were other assorted merfolk royalty in attendance, at the behest of King Claus—many Llyr only vaguely recognized.

On the other side was Oz’s father, King Reginald, and his brother, Prince Tyne—who since his homecoming had reclaimed his title ofCrown PrinceTyne, much to Ozzy’s approval. Dagr’s grandmother sat beside the king—though the Duke was too ill to join the festivities. Other distant family members and aristocracy were in attendance—minus Brandt, whom they had not seen since that day on the beach.

Llyr turned his attentions to his two gorgeous mates. The love he saw in their eyes took his breath away. Finally, they would truly be his, although they’d been spending all their nights together since he arrived. Somehow the ceremony seemed like a binding of their souls.

Their nights had been a binding of the flesh.

His brother stopped them at the end and gave him a glance. “Last chance.”

“I have no reservations,” Llyr whispered back.

“Good answer,” Amyr whispered back. “I wish you the love and happiness you deserve, brother.”

Llyr lifted his stare to Amyr. “And to you, too, brother.”

Amyr pressed his forehead against Llyr’s before leading them up one last step. He took Llyr’s hand and gazed at Dagr and Oz. “Who claims the hand of my brother, Llyr Xavier Augustus, Prince of Aegeaus?”

“We do,” both Dagr and Ozzy declared before all there, their voices loud and clear.

Llyr met their gazes, one after the other, as they took his hand from Amyr. His mates led him forward to where both a human priest and a merman cleric stood, awaiting to lead the dual service. As they began, trading off part after part, Llyr could barely hear the words they spoke. He could only look into his mates’ eyes and see the love growing for him there. Lost in their regard, he was spellbound.

He repeated words and phrases, as he was instructed, unable to tear his stare from his mates. They all spoke their vows, pledging themselves to one another.

When it was over, Llyr felt as if in a fog. They’d done it. They were bound as one before the gods of both their people. His mates embraced him close, kissing him at the end of the ceremony, sealing their pact.

“I love you,” he murmured once it was over. “Both of you. So very much.”

Oz cupped Llyr cheek and planted a kiss on his lips. “And I you.”

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