Rite Men for Maya (8 page)

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Daddy, you told me mermen marriage ceremonies resembled human ones. I think I would remember walking down an aisle and saying vows.”

“The virility-fertility rite bypasses all of that for the chosen. They display themselves and open their senses to their mate, calling out to them when the gods’ powers are the highest. Such a call is hard to ignore, whether you are present at the festival or not. Your mother almost drowned when she answered mine.”

“You and Mommy?”

“Yes. I was once of the chosen.”

“Did she know? When you two… I mean… did you tell her?”

“I had to save her first. And you know your mother. She authored, edited, and published the book on stubbornness. She refused to let me touch her for months. The call was strong for both of us, and I knew she suffered with it as I did, but she refused to let it lead her.”

“I think I’ve figured out why Mommy is mad at me, then. She probably thinks I gave in too easily.” Thinking back, Maya knew she’d held out as long as she could. She might have been able to deny one, but two men bent on making her succumb to their lust and hers was a little out of her league.

Meren chuckled. “Give her a grandchild, sweet water. She’ll forgive you then.”

“So, I’m married to them… to Tam and Kessen?”

“You were.”

“Am. I… in my dreams, they asked me to be with them again and I said yes. They never said that was marriage. I just thought they meant…” She stopped. Heat flushed her face, and she pulled away from her father quickly.

Meren laughed at her and chased her so he could hug her again. “My poor, confused daughter. You berated yourself even as you enjoyed it, didn’t you? Give in to them. They are your husbands. Their triad is incomplete without you.”

“Where would we live, though? I have my life on land, my career.”

“Yes, and Kessen is a priest of Neptune.”

“He’s a what? How do you know that?”

“His tail. His family was marked by the gods long ago. Each generation, one child is born with a tail such as Kessen’s. That is the sign that they are a priest of Neptune.”

Maya drooped. “We’ll have to live in the water, then.”

“My daughter, my sweet water, don’t discuss this with me. Discuss it with them. Call them to you and talk.”

“Call them to me?”

He shook his head. “I must make your brother take a year away from his studies and live amongst the mermen before he makes the same mistakes as you.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“Never you mind about that. It’s forgotten and easily rectified. As Tam and Kessen have visited you in your dreams, so too can you do the same to them. Call them to you and talk.”

“How?”

“Close your eyes and think of them. If the bond you three share is strong enough, you can contact them even if they are awake.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“Be more like me than your mother in this instance, and it will be.”

She hugged him tight. “Thank you, Daddy. I’m sorry for not realizing. I’ll get better.”

“You have merman husbands. I can forgive all else because of that.” He gave her another squeeze. “What time is it? I’m starving.”

“Is it any wonder? You’ve been down here a week.”

“Have I?”

“Daddy,” Maya scolded.

Meren’s stomach growled. “Later, my sweet water. I want food, and you need to straighten out this situation with your mates.”

“What about Mommy?”

Meren grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the grotto. Once they were in the open ocean, he faced her toward the direction of her house. “You solve your problem. I’ll deal with your mother.”

“You’re sure?” He cupped her cheek, and she smiled at him. “I’m sorry again, Daddy.”

“Invite them to dinner, and all will be well.”

She nodded and swam away.

Dinner?

That was three hours away. Would she be able to contact Tam and Kessen and solve their little problem in that amount of time?

Chapter Six

After the short swim home and a little inner debate, Maya exited the water. She shifted back to her legs, then walked toward her house.

Call Tam and Kessen to her?

Her father had made it sound so easy, like picking up a phone and dialing a number. How was she supposed to call them? Was it like in the dream where she could control the locale just by concentrating and visualizing what she wanted?

She reached her porch and faced the water. Asking a bunch of questions wouldn’t get the job done. She had to do it and see.

With a sigh, she closed her eyes. She pictured Tam and Kessen. The first thoughts that came to her mind were of their last encounter. She’d barely fallen asleep when Tam and Kessen appeared in her room, heavy and ready.

She’d been enjoying herself until the phone rang. Once this mess was figured out, she’d have them initiate it again… in real time.

* * *

“Now, this is a first,” Tam said, smirking. “Usually we call you. And we’re not even asleep. What warrants the occasion?”

Kessen asked, “Did you speak with your mother? Is everything well?”

Maya opened her mouth to speak but found she was suddenly shy. These men were her husbands, not just casual bedmates. What did she say in a situation like this one?

“Everything is fine now,” she said softly.

“Good. We can continue where we left off,” Tam said, reaching for her.

She almost let him touch her but pulled away at the last second. The time for dream sex was at an end.

Tam smiled in his knowing way. “You cannot resist us. You never can. Why pretend?”

“I want to talk. More than a few words.”

Kessen stopped Tam when he would have pursued her. “About what?”

“I…” She lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand, and for that my father blames himself. He really should blame me since I never took the time to learn more about being a proper merman.”

“And what is it you understand?”

She met Kessen’s gaze. “That what we did at the rite means we’re married. I thought I’d embarrassed myself and my family because of my behavior that day, but my father explained everything to me.”

Both men exchanged a look, then faced her.

“And now you accept us, truly accept us, with full knowledge of what that means?” Tam asked.

She nodded.

“Good.” Tam faded from view.

That surprised Maya. She thought he would hold her or kiss her or some other intimate act. She looked at Kessen. “What’s going on? Where did Tam go?”

“Probably the same place I’m going,” Kessen said before he disappeared, as well.

Maya gaped at the emptiness. She let the real world close in around her and backed out of the dream.

* * *

What had just happened? Were they rejecting her because she’d waited too long? Was this a punishment?

She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. It was no more than she deserved, she guessed. Stupidity had made her think she was dishonoring her family by accepting Tam and Kessen when the exact opposite was true.

“Tears should never mar such beauty.”

Maya gasped and fell back as she looked up at the man who’d spoken.

Tam. His voice sounded different out of the water. He stood over her, smiling, naked, and holding his hand out to her. A transition amulet hung from his wrist, dangling in her line of sight.

She hesitated only a second before she took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. “What are you doing here? How did you get here so quickly?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t act on your acceptance of us? I’m tired of seducing you in dreams. I want the real thing.”

“As do I.” Kessen walked out of the ocean toward them. Like Tam, he also wore a transition amulet, except his was around his neck. He was as naked as Tam. “We have always been nearby, this entire time, in case you decided dreams were not enough.”

Maya immediately looked around. Thankfully, the beach was empty. “You two can’t parade around like that. Naked, I mean. You’ll get in trouble.”

“Then, by all means, take us to your house. I’d like to see how your dream bedroom compares to the real version,” Tam said.

Heat rushed along her body and pooled between her legs. She backed up a step, and the men followed. “This way,” she said in a breathy voice.

They arrived at her house with no incidents or run-ins. The men refused the towels she offered. Both were highly aroused. Maya ached to feel those twin shafts of hard flesh buried deep inside of her.

But they needed to talk. She didn’t know where to start, though. She looked between Kessen and Tam, and then noticed something she hadn’t before. “You’re both walking.”

Tam laughed.

Kessen nodded. “Yes, we are.”

“But how? You said you never tried legs before.”

“We acquired the transition amulets shortly after the rite. We’ve been practicing all this past week for the time when you would accept us outside of the dream world.” Kessen stroked the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “We wanted there to be no excuses.”

His touch sent electric shocks of need throughout her body. She wanted to give in to the feeling but there was another matter that had to come first. Stepping back out of Kessen’s reach, she said, “Before we… uh…”

“Hump like hares?” Kessen asked.

Tam asked, “Screw like bunnies?”

“Redefine and reinvent the act.”

“Fu --”

“Stop it. That’s enough,” she yelled.

Tam pulled her into his arms and covered her flaming cheeks with small kisses. “You are so shy. I love teasing you.” He feathered his fingers over her taut nipple

She gasped and arched into his touch.

“Tam, I think she wants to talk before we play.” Kessen freed her from Tam and sat her on the couch. He took up position on one side of her and Tam sat on the other. “I feel your unease, my heart. What is it?”

“Daddy told me you’re a priest of Neptune. I didn’t know that.”

“There’s much you don’t know, but it’s not something worth worrying about. We’ll work together to learn all that needs knowing.”

“I… I’ve never wanted to live in the ocean.”

“Then we won’t.”

She jerked her gaze up and looked at Kessen in disbelief. “You can’t mean that? I may be ignorant about a lot of things, but I know being a priest of Neptune is important. It’s also not an optional vocation. You can’t do it properly if you’re not in the ocean.”

“I won’t do it at all if it means I can’t be with you.” He leaned into her and placed the softest of kisses on her lips.

She wanted to give in to his affection but pulled back. “But, you’d never be happy living on land. I… I don’t know why I know that but I do.”

“Because you know us like we know you.” Tam turned her head so she faced him. “That is part of our bond. Though our time together has been short, we know instinctively more about each other than we think.”

“You and Kessen know more about each other because you’ve been together for so long.”

“Only a year. We met at the previous virility-fertility rite. Even though Kessen spoke to my soul and I to his, we both knew there was something missing.”

Kessen said, “This year, I was selected as a chosen. The gods also granted Tam the status of a chosen once more so that we could find you -- our third.”

“We plan to live wherever you choose,” Tam said.

Maya said, “I won’t take Kessen from his duty.”

“You won’t be happy living in the ocean, either,” Kessen said softly. “I can serve Neptune just as well here as I can in the ocean. The beach is his domain, and the commute to his temple is not that far. At least I won’t have to worry about getting fat, like some I could mention.” He looked at Tam.

“I am not getting fat.” Tam patted his flat stomach. “This is all muscle, lover.”

Kessen made a non-committal sound.

Maya hid a laugh behind her hand.

“Was that your only worry?” Kessen squeezed her thigh.

She nodded, unable to speak. The looks Kessen and Tam gave her had her body all flushed with anticipation. “So, we’re married.”

“Yes,” they both said.

Tam stood. He bent and scooped Maya onto his shoulder, then faced the bedrooms. “Which way to the pool room?”

“Wait! My parents want us over for dinner tonight. It’s almost dinner time now.”

“Hm. That does pose a problem. Doesn’t it?” Tam patted his hand on her rear as he made thinking noises. “You see? I wanted to copulate with my wife in reality, but we should properly introduce ourselves to your parents.”

“Yes, we should.” Kessen winked at her.

Tam smoothed his hand between her legs and pushed two fingers deep inside of her. She clutched at his back and wiggled against the intrusion. Her movement only made Tam’s fingers shift. She panted, shifting her hips against his hand so his fingers moved.

“Don’t human women normally wear panties under their clothing?” Tam pumped his fingers and rubbed his thumb against her clit. “Such a wanton little thing.”

“I… I was swimming with my… my tail. Oh, gods!” She was ready to come. Just a little more.

Tam’s fingers left her body, and she cried out in dismay. His body rumbled with his laughter. “Now, now, Maya. We must go see your parents.” He bent forward so her feet touched the floor.

She didn’t move.

“Maya?”

“They can wait.”

Kessen moved closer and cupped her cheek. “You’re sure? We wouldn’t want you to become saddened because you disappointed your parents again.”

She shook her head at him. “Stop teasing me.”

“But you become so amicable when we do.” Kessen grinned.

Maya vowed to strangle them both later. She pointed around Tam’s side. “The last door on the right side of the hallway.”

“Pool room?” Tam asked.

“Yes.”

He tucked his shoulder against her stomach once more and straightened. Once he returned his fingers to her center, he walked to the room she’d indicated.

Maya cried out her release as Tam lowered her into the water. He smiled at her. “How shall we do this? With tails or without?”

“I liked our first encounter.” Kessen entered the pool. He removed the transition amulet and his legs faded back to his tail.