Page 10 of Welcome to Seaman’s Cove: Part Two

Hunter’s the kind of pretentious intellectual academic who’s always viewed wealth with a bit of disdain. To his credit, most alphas in his circles use their wealth to show off and make up for a lack of personality and morals. I don’t want him to assume Sebastian’s the same.

“I’m Sebastian Oliveira.” He holds out his hand. “You must be Hunter. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

That’s his business voice. The one he uses when he’s masking all the things he’s really feeling. This isn’t a good start. Seb’s always been a little threatened by Hunter, which is somewhat valid, since I’ve been in love with the man for all of my adult life. But it doesn’t mean I love Seb any less. I’ve tried to convince him of that more times than I can count.

Hunter takes his hand and the two men shake stiffly. I’d really hoped this would go better. I want Hunter to see how amazing my Sebby is, but that won’t come through if Seb isn’t relaxed enough to be himself.

When they drop their hands, I grab Seb and pull him into a kiss followed by a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I whisper in his ear. “Thank you.”

His shoulders relax a little. I step away.

“I appreciate you helping us,” Hunter says, sincerity adding weight to the words.

“Of course,” Seb replies. “I’d do anything for my firebird.” He takes my hand. “Although, I’d like to know what this is all about and where we’re going.”

Shit, where do I even begin? Do I tell him about when I first arrived and met Madi and Caspian? Or the day I discovered Caspian’s secret? Maybe I should start with the fact that Madi’s our scent match. Then I can work up to what happened to her.

Before I open my mouth, Hunter blurts out, “Mermaids took my mate.”

Seb doesn’t say anything in response. Calm and calculating as ever, he examines my oldest friend. Seb’s always been good at masking his emotions and reactions to things. If he’s surprised by Hunter’s proclamation, he doesn’t show it. Damn, I really wish I knew what he’s thinking.

He steps to the side and motions toward the door that leads into the ship’s interior. “Let’s go inside. I think you should start from the beginning.”

7

Leaving my mate before she woke was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but my mother made it clear I’m expected at court this morning, and I needed time to prepare. The last thing I want is to anger my queen by being late when I’m summoned. That might push her into doing something rash, so for now, I’ll play by her rules.

In my room, I rebraid my hair with coral beads in our house colors and paint my cheeks with rouge so they look less sullen. Despite Madi’s presence, Hunter’s absence is a constant strain on my mind and body. Even secondhand, there’s a distant bond, and it’s taking its toll. I’ll need to work hard to look the part of the healthy, dutiful son in order to appease my mother’s vanity. It’s the only chance I have that she’ll let her guard down enough for me to find a way out of all this.

At least she made no secret of where she’s keeping my Madison. For obvious reasons, it’s not the normal dungeons, but a rock mass where I used to go when I needed somewhere quiet to think. Choosing it was a show of power on her part, a way for her to prove there’s nothing she doesn’t know. She’s familiar with all my secrets.

Still, I’m thankful she agreed to let me spend my nights with Madi as long as no one sees me coming and going. An easy enough rule to obey, since I’ve been sneaking around this castle since I was a merling. I’m sure she’s only allowing this liberty to minimize any symptoms of bonding sickness. If Princess Farrasea catches even a whiff that I’m already mated, she’ll call off the wedding in a heartbeat. My mother will do anything to avoid that. She doesn’t care what happens to me or my mates once I marry Farrasea, but she will ensure the alliance goes through at any cost. She’s made that much clear.

The queen has always been a detached parent, and it only got worse when my father perished. She sees her children as assets. Pawns she can move around the yuval board until she wins the game.

This time, I need to beat her.

Swimming over to the chest in the corner, I dig out a belt of gold chains that once belonged to my father. The metal is cool to the touch as I hook it around my waist. It slides up and down, twisting against my abs as I move, a constant reminder of the privilege and burden of my heritage. Next, I add the armor my mother insisted I wear to hide Madi’s bite mark. It’s a little overdressed for a normal day at court, but it’s unlikely that anyone will think twice about it.

After taking one last look at myself in the mirror, I press my palm to the lock on my door. It slides open, leaving a trail of tiny bubbles in its wake. Unsurprisingly, there’s a guard stationed just outside, waiting to escort me to the queen.

“I was about to come in and drag you out. The queen’s in a mood this morning and won’t appreciate you being late,” Nami says.

As a trusted guard in my mother’s employ, Nami’s accompanied me often in the past, so we’ve established a casual rapport. She’s kind, but ultimately, beholden to the queen's orders.

“Thanks for the warning,” I say as I exit my room.

“No problem.” She smiles, but I can see the worry in the tightness of her eyes. I wonder what my mother did to place it there. Or was it me?

I wave Nami on, and she flicks her powerful orange tail, wasting no more time before leading me to whatever hell awaits.

Turning to an opening, we glide out of my wing of the castle to head toward the receiving room. The paths below are busy with merfolk going about their day, trading trinkets and selling wares, oblivious to the turmoil roiling inside me.

Movement near an upper level shop catches my eye, and I slow to watch a merling chase after his friend, laughter spilling freely from both of them. My gaze drifts outward, taking in Tythas in a new way. The metropolis is made up of a series of tall towers, the streets running both vertically and horizontally. So different from human cities. I briefly described my home to my starfish when we were exploring Ocearus, and the memory makes my chest ache.

My soul is torn. On one hand, I’d love to show Madi around the bustling city. Let her explore until her inquisitive mind is content. Visit the Triku Reef to see the aconite flowers glow when she touches them. Bring her to the Corathas current to make love in the sacred stream.

On the other hand, I want to escape with my starfish and swim as far from this kingdom as possible. Grab Hunter and Phoenix and start a new life where my queen mother won’t ever find us, so I can keep Madi safe.