I’d spent three weeks sewing my fingers raw, but damn if it wasn’t worth every pricked thumb and tangled mess. I’d harvested flax from the riverbanks, spun it into rough yarn, and made loincloth covers for my mates. Simple wraps that shielded what needed shielding while letting everything else breathe in the brutal heat, way better than the heavy fur they’d been sweating in.
My three mates; Leon, Ravin, and Caelion, usually stayed in their human forms, while Soryn preferred his half-form, serpent below the waist and man above. But even Soryn shifted fully human sometimes, and when he did, he deserved coverage too.
The heat had turned oppressive, the sun relentless, making those usual furs feel like torture devices. When I handed over the loincloths, my mates lost their minds. Ravin actually groaned as he tied his on, like he’d never felt such relief. Leon adjusted his, grinning at how little there was to it. Caelion blushed, his sea-glass eyes darting away, but he accepted his with a shy smile. Even Soryn, when he shifted human to try his, kept running his hands over the fabric, amazed something could feel so light against his skin.
They looked good. Really good. Like warriors who knew exactly what they had and weren’t afraid to show it. And yeah, I definitely preened under all that gratitude.
But they were busy, my mates. The rebuild demanded their strength, and the patrols demanded their vigilance. Most days I was alone with the cubs, watching them tumble through our home with endless energy. Don’t get me wrong, they were such a bunch of cuties, all soft fur and big eyes and sloppy kisses. But gosh, they were a handful. By the time the sun set, I was often too exhausted to do more than collapse into bed.
During my ovulation, Leon had made the effort to come home each night, no matter how tired he was, no matter how late the hour. He would slip into our bed and take me with a determination that left me breathless, his seed spilling inside me again and again, his whispered prayers that this time, this time, he had put his litter in me. I had lost count of how many times we coupled those nights, his hunger insatiable, his hope palpable.
Now that window had closed. My body had shifted, the fertile time passed, and I turned my attention to the mate who had waited the longest.
Caelion.
He had been patient, so patient, never pushing, never demanding, his sea-glass eyes following me with a longing he tried to hide behind smiles and gentle touches. But I had not forgotten my promise. Three weeks, I had said. And those three weeks were done.
Tonight would be special.
I thought about what I knew of Caelion, of his nature, of what would make him comfortable. He was a merman, born to the water, most himself when submerged. Making love on dry land, in a bed of furs, would feel foreign to him, awkward. But in the water... in the water, he would be confident. Powerful. At home.
The deeper end of the stream, I decided. It was close enough to our home that we could return quickly if needed, but far enough that the banks curved away from the village, hidden by willows and tall reeds, protected from outsiders and prying eyes. The water there was deep enough for his tail, cool enough for his comfort, private enough for what I intended.
When Caelion returned that night, his skin still damp from patrol, his hair clinging to his neck in dark tendrils, I caught him before he could collapse onto the sleeping furs.
"I have a plan," I said, my voice low enough that the others wouldn’t hear.
He paused, one hand raised to push hair from his eyes. "A plan?"
I stepped closer, close enough to smell the river on him, the salt and cool water. "For us. For tonight." I reached out, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw, feeling him shiver under my touch. "I promised you three weeks. Those three weeks are done."
His eyes widened, pupils dilating, and I watched the realization dawn on him. Then they darkened, filling with a hunger he had suppressed for so long, a need he had hidden behind patience and understanding.
"Tonight?" he breathed, his voice barely audible.
"Tonight," I confirmed. "But not here. Not on furs, not on dry land." I cupped his face, making him look at me. "I want to take you to the water. The deep part of the stream, where the willows hide us. Where you can be yourself. Where you can be comfortable."
He straightened, the weariness falling from his shoulders like shed skin. A smile spread across his face, trembling at first, then steady, radiant. "You thought of that? For me?"
"Of course I did," I said, smiling back. "You’re a merman, Caelion. You should have your first time somewhere that feels like home."
He laughed, the sound breathless and young, hope naked in his expression. "I thought... I thought you would want a bed, a proper place, somewhere normal..."
"I want you," I said simply. "And I want you to be happy. The water is where you’re happiest. So that’s where we’ll go."
He pulled me into his arms then, his wet skin cool against mine, his heart hammering against my ear. "Thank you," he whispered into my hair. "Thank you for thinking of me. For wanting me. For giving me this chance."
"I’ve been ready, you saved me from being taken advantage of, even after I rejected you, you didn’t hold a grudge. Becoming your mate was never a question." I admitted. "I just wanted to do right by Leon first. I plan to give you all children of your own. I know it would be a lot, but I know you all will help me take care of them so I’m not worried that I’d be overwhelmed. I know you guys will be there."
He held me tighter, and I felt his arousal stirring against my hip, unhidden, eager. "When?" he asked, his voice rough. "When do we go?"
"After the others settle the cubs," I said. "I’ll tell them. They’ll understand."
He nodded, his cheek pressed to mine, and I felt him trembling with anticipation, with nervousness, with joy. "I’ll be ready," he promised. "I’ll be whatever you need me to be."
"Just be yourself," I told him. "That’s who I want."
He pulled back, his sea-glass eyes searching mine, finding truth there. His smile softened into something tender, something vulnerable, something real. "I love you," he said, the words sudden and sincere. "I know we haven’t... I know we’re not fully bonded yet. But I love you, Krys. I have for a while now."
I kissed him then, soft and sweet, tasting the river on his lips. "I love you too," I whispered against his mouth. "Now go rest. Save your strength. You’ll need it tonight."
He laughed, a sound full of promise, and I watched him move to the furs with a lightness in his step that hadn’t been there before. Tonight, I thought. Tonight I would give him what he had waited so long for. And I would make it perfect.
---
I told the others, Ravin and Leon and Soryn, that I would be with Caelion at the stream. They understood, their eyes warm with blessing, their hands gentle as they took the cubs, settling them for the night, giving us the privacy we needed.
The walk to the stream was quiet, the night air warm and thick with the scent of blooming flowers. Caelion held my hand, his fingers trembling slightly, and I squeezed them in reassurance.
We reached the deeper pool, the water black and silver in the moonlight, the willows creating a curtain of privacy around us. Caelion slipped into the water first, his tail appearing with a shimmer of scales, and he turned to me, his expression uncertain, shy, awkward in a way that made my heart ache.
"Come here," I whispered.
I made the first move, stepping into the water, wading to where he waited, and I kissed him. His lips were cool and tasted of salt and river weeds, and he made a small sound of surprise before his arms came around me, pulling me close.
My legs wrapped around his waist, and I felt his tail move between my thighs, thick and muscular, pressing against my most sensitive place with a pressure that made me gasp. He froze, worried, but I ground against him, showing him it was good, it was right.
He carried me to a flat rock that jutted from the water, laying me back against the warm stone, the water lapping at my sides. He hovered over me, uncertainty flickering in his sea-glass eyes, his hands hovering uncertainly over my skin.
"Touch me," I whispered, taking his hand and guiding it to my breast. "Here. Like this."
I showed him the pressure I liked, my thumb over his, teaching him how to knead and roll the sensitive flesh until my breath hitched. He learned quickly, his natural confidence returning as he felt me respond, my back arching off the rock as he pinched my nipple just hard enough to make me gasp.
"Good," I moaned. "Now lower."
I guided his hand down my belly, past my navel, until his fingers brushed the wet heat of me. "Here," I breathed, spreading my legs wider, showing him where I needed him most. "Touch me here. Soft at first, then harder."
He explored me with tentative strokes, his fingers sliding through my folds, finding the small bud of my pleasure. I showed him how to circle it, how to press and release, how to read my body’s responses. When he found the right rhythm, my hips bucked against his hand, and he groaned, realizing the power he held.
"Inside," I begged, my fingers wrapping around his wrist. "Put your fingers inside me."
He pushed two digits into my heat, and I cried out, my inner walls clamping down around him. I showed him how to curl them, how to find the spot that made stars burst behind my eyes, how to pump them in time with the pressure on my clit.
"Yes," I panted, my nails raking his shoulders. "Just like that. Don’t stop."
He worked me with his hand, his mouth trailing fire down my throat, my collarbone, finally closing around my breast with a suction that made me scream. The combination of his fingers inside me, his mouth on my nipple, the cool air and warm stone and the water lapping at our bodies; it was overwhelming and perfect.
I came hard against his hand, my body convulsing, my release coating his fingers. He stared at me, awe and hunger warring in his expression, watching me come apart for him.
"Now you," I gasped when I could breathe again. "I want you inside me, Caelion. But shift first. I need to feel all of you."
He nodded, trembling, and shifted. His tail melted into legs, the transformation fluid and beautiful, and then he was kneeling between my thighs, his man form and hard and trembling with need.
"Guide me," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I have never..."
I understood. I took him in my hand, feeling the heat of him, the pulse of his arousal, and I positioned him at my entrance. "Push," I instructed. "Slow. Feel me."
He pushed in, his eyes going wide, his mouth falling open in a silent gasp. I was warm and wet and ready for him, and he sank into me with a groan that seemed to come from his soul.
"Krys," he breathed, his forehead pressed to mine. "Oh gods, Krys, you feel..."
He began to move, his hips finding a rhythm that was awkward at first, then smoother, then confident. He was enjoying my warmth, my tightness, the way I clenched around him with every thrust. The water splashed around us, the stone warm against my back, Caelion’s body hot and hard above me. I showed him how to angle his hips, how to grind against me with each stroke, how to find the spot that made me moan his name.
"Like that," I gasped, my legs wrapping around his waist. "Right there. Don’t stop."
He obeyed, his thrusts becoming more deliberate, his confidence growing with every cry I made. He was learning me, learning my body, learning how to make me shatter beneath him.
"Touch me," I begged. "While you move. Touch me here."
I guided his hand between us, showing him how to rub my clit in time with his thrusts. The dual sensation; him filling me, his fingers circling me; sent me spiraling toward the edge again.
"Caelion," I moaned, my nails digging into his back. "I’m close. Make me come. Please."
He growled, a sound that was pure male satisfaction, and he increased his pace, his fingers working me mercilessly, his cock hitting that perfect spot inside me with every stroke.
I came with a scream, my body arching off the rock, my inner walls spasming around him. He followed me over the edge, his release flooding me, hot and endless, his body shuddering against mine as he emptied himself with my name breaking from his lips like a prayer.
He collapsed over me, his weight pressing me into the warm stone, and I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as we both trembled with aftershocks, the water lapping gently at our joined bodies.
A branch snapped.
Caelion froze, his head snapping toward the sound, his body instantly moving to block mine from view.
Veylan stood at the water’s edge, silver hair dripping, clearly having been bathing nearby. His eyes were wide, his mouth open, frozen in shock. He had seen us. He had seen everything.
He tried to back away, to slip into the shadows, but I had already seen him. Realized he had been watching. Mortification flooded through me, hot and sickening, and I scrambled for my discarded clothing, my face burning.
Caelion stayed positioned over me, shielding my body with his own, his expression hard and protective.
"I..." Veylan stammered, his face flushing a deep red even visible in the moonlight. "I apologize. I did not know... I was bathing, I heard noises, I thought... I am so sorry."
He turned and fled, disappearing into the trees, his footsteps crashing through the underbrush.
I buried my face in Caelion’s shoulder, my mortification complete. "We should go back," I whispered, my voice muffled.
Caelion nodded and then helped me get decent before getting off the rocks, Our intimate moment shattered and walked back to our home with the weight of embarrassment heavy between us.
The night had not gone as planned. And I did not know if I would ever be able to look Veylan in the eyes again.