Page 73 of Cruel Tides

Yep, Laverne had called it. Iwasa harlot. Because that thought had my belly warming and my nerves fluttering in a deliciously pleasant way.

I chastised myself with a mumbled, “Pervert,” and dragged myself out from under my unicorn comforter. Sunlight streamed in through my window, casting a warm and welcoming glow over my shaggy pink rug, but it did little to ease the anxiety knotting my stomach.

Would Leander be better today? My heartstrings pulled—I needed to see him.

After getting up and grabbing fresh clothes, I headed for the bathroom. The smell of coffee and bacon wafted into the hallway from the kitchen, making my stomach rumble in anticipation. Gram was surely attempting to lift my spirits with her cooking after the emotional wreck I’d been over Leander last night. And worst of all, I hadn’t even been able to tell her what was wrong with him.

My feet dragged as I approached the bathroom, and I took a deep breath to stop myself from peeking in on them before I’d brushed my teeth and my hair.

Once I refreshed myself and threw some extra water on my face, I went to the living room, anticipating finding the guys lounging around. But when I looked inside, the room was almost completely empty. All the quilts I’d put out had been folded and arranged into a stack of neat squares, leaving a large, empty area where the couch usually was.

Empty, except for Barren.

His bulky legs stretched out in front of him as he sat on the floor next to the coffee table, a steaming mug in his hand. When he looked up and noticed me watching him, his brows furrowed slightly, his pupils dilating as his gaze traveled up and down my outfit. Then, a gentle yet awkward smile pulled at his lips, making his strong jaw look more inviting. I nearly had to turn right back around to go change my panties again.

“Morning,” he said and sat his mug down on the smooth tabletop. His voice was coarse, like that was the first word he’d uttered today.

Dad must have brought in all the clothes we’d left on the boat because his brace was fastened over the same shirt he’d worn yesterday. Even his cell phone sat on the edge of the coffee table.

“Good morning,” I replied, still surprised to find him all alone. Our chemistry had grown even more complicated in the last few days. Now that his voice had the same effect on me that Leander’s and Kai’s had, I wasn’t sure where we stood.

Did that make him my mate, too?

Did he even want that?

Yeah—there was no way I was asking. ‘Hey Barren, do you think we’re in thethralltogether? Because I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but sometimes I get the urge to climb you like a tree.’

Having two mates already complicated things. Adding Barren to the mix? Yeah, that wouldn’t be awkward for Leander and Kai. Not at all.

At this rate, they might never let me talk to another merman again in fear that I might try to drag them into the group as well.

Trying to keep my cool, I walked over to Barren and inspected his cup of coffee. “Did Gram make that?” I asked, appreciating the view from my standing position. From here, I had a close-up glance of his curly hair and the strong muscles running along the back of his neck.

As I came nearer, Barren seemed to shrink, his posture becoming more and more rigid. Even though his hand was massive compared to the mug, he ran a gentle finger around the rim, his eyes fixated on the steam rising from it. “That and the bacon.” He cleared his throat. “Before she left. Errands, she said.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Although I was sad that I’d missed Gram before she left, I breathed out a sigh of relief. “You don’t want to drink the coffee when Dad makes it. If you can even call it that.” I scrunched my nose, thinking back to the last time I’d accidentally drank some of Dad’s brew. I hadn’t been able to tell then if I’d swallowed coffee grounds of stuffed a handful of sand into my mouth.

Barren braced his hand on the coffee table, and I took a step back to give him space to stand. As he rose to his full height, my chin tilted up, up, up with him. With his hair mussed from sleep, I couldn’t help but think of him as a towering tree…

Simmer down, Claira,I scolded. There would be no climbing. Especially not right in the middle of the living room.

Though, wewerealone.

“Where is everyone else, by the way?” I scoped out the area, even peeking in the open door to Gram’s room—not that I expected to find Kai or Leander in there.

“Training.” He gestured toward the window with a nod.

“Training?” I repeated, my heart starting to race.

Without waiting for Barren to elaborate, I hurried to the window. The couch was in my way, pushed up against it, but I didn’t care. I dropped onto the middle cushion and pulled back the window’s delicate lace curtains to look outside.

And there they were, on the lawn. Two figures locked in a fierce struggle, moving quickly in alternating directions, forward, then back.

But why?They were both still recovering. They needed to be resting, not doing whatever this was.

I leaned close enough for my breath to fog the glass, squinting. Then I gasped, my eyes re-widening in horror. “Are those harpoons?”

“Mmh,” Barren grunted in agreement. “They asked your father for weapons.”

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