Chapter 2 – Much to Learn
Nethanel was as good as his word. He spent the whole morning patiently teaching Carver various skills he would need to be of help in the cave: gutting fish, opening oysters with a devilishly sharp knife, knotting nets. Carver did his best to keep up, but he was sincerely relieved when, after a quick lunch, Nethanel jumped to his feet and motioned for him to follow.
"Come. I have something you will like."
Carver got to his feet, tugging self-consciously at the pants hugging his legs and ass. Nethanel had done something to the waistline to make them fit better, his hands warm against the naked skin of Carver's belly, but they still felt far too tight. Fortunately, the material was soft, despite its scaly look. He'd asked the merman about it and the question had drawn one of his rare smiles from him.
"Maybe one day I'll show you how to make it. My mother's mate taught me. It's a rare skill." There was obvious pride in his voice.
Carver had picked up various hints about the merpeople's life during the morning. Their cave seemed to be part of a larger network and, from what he had gathered, there were at least three other females with their mates living nearby.
"You'll meet them soon enough." Nethanel had seemed unconcerned. "Maeghan will decide when the time is right."
"So, the men do as they're told? And they stay in the caves all day long?" Carver had tried to hide his surprise as best he could.
"Of course we do. We guard the caves. That's our most important task." Nethanel had indicated the net they were mending. "This is just to pass the time."
He'd wondered what the caves had to be guarded against, and how the mermen fought, but hadn't wanted to ask more questions. He got his answer now, at least in part, when Nethanel produced two long tridents from a niche in the rock.
"Here." He tossed one to Carver. "Can you fight at all?"
"Not with a weapon like this." Carver shook his head.
Nethanel sighed, but he was patient as he showed him how to hold the shaft and went through several attack and defense routines with him. "Yes, like this. You don't have to use so much force, though. Skill will serve you better."
Carver was breathing hard from the exertion, but the trident felt good in his hands and it was a relief to work off some of his fury. He didn't have to worry about hurting the other man – Nethanel was far too quick and graceful for that. But he no longer felt quite as helpless and that was good. Carver threw himself into the fight with abandon. In his mind's eye, he was killing the ogre, saving Bethany, over and over again.
"Why are you so angry?" Nethanel frowned. "Your strokes… it's almost as if you want to punish someone."
He shook his head, blinking away a sudden tear. "Just myself. I…"
"What happened?" Nethanel's hand was on his shoulder, heavy and supportive, and the words tumbled from his lips before he could help himself.
"My sister, Bethy. My twin. She died when we were running from Lothering, killed by an ogre. I… I should have saved her." There was no answer, just the comforting weight of the other man's hand. "Teach me to fight, Nethanel." He raised his gaze to meet the merman's. "Please."
Nethanel nodded. "I will. And you will be a fearsome warrior once you get the hang of our weapons. You're strong and determined."
Carver felt his spine straighten at those words.
"I… had a brother." Nethanel wasn't looking at him. "Tam. He died about a year ago, killed by a fisherman's spear."
"I'm sorry." His words seemed inadequate but, really, was there ever anything else to say?
"Don't be." There was a hint of bitterness around Nethanel's mouth. "Tam was difficult, unhappy and rebellious. He wanted to be with Maeghan too, you see. Kept badgering her to take him to her cave."
When he saw Carver's confused expression, Nethanel elaborated. "Brothers can't mate with the same woman. It's wrong, unclean. But he refused to give up." He closed his eyes, clearly unwilling to show his feelings. "In a way, our lives became much easier when he died."
Carver swallowed, trying to imagine how he'd have felt if Revon had been the one to be killed by the ogre, instead of Bethany. Yes, he would have been relieved as well. Sad too, but mostly relieved. Of course, Revon had survived. His heroic brother had saved the day with his magic, just like always. He hadn't saved Bethy, though.
He shook off the thought. "One more round?"
Nethanel took up the trident with a brief nod. "Yes."
Maeghan returned shortly before sunset, looking tired and a bit straggly, dragging a full net behind her. Nethanel stood, ready to take it from her, and for the next hour they were busy preparing the meal and sorting through her findings while she rested near the fire.
Once they had all eaten, Nethanel pulled her onto his lap and took a comb from a small box, decorated with seashells. Maeghan settled on his thighs with a happy sigh as he began to untangle her hair, picking out small strands of seaweed and trying to loosen the knots. Carver watched them, feeling his throat tighten at the tenderness between them.
When he'd finished, Nethanel exchanged the comb for a small flask and briefly slapped Maeghan's back, indicating her leggings with a tilt of his head. "Off."
She complied with a grin, wiggling out of the tight garment. Nethanel ran a hand down her back, drawing a long moan from her, and, just like that, the mood changed from tender to sensual. Carver felt his face grow hot at the sight of her long, bare legs and the small, red-golden triangle of hair at the junction of her thighs. Not only his face, to be precise. Of course, his pants did nothing much to hide his reaction.
He was still debating whether he should withdraw to the shelter when Nethanel tossed him the flask. "Here. Help."
There was oil in there, aromatic and rich, and together they poured it over Maeghan's long, pale limbs, spreading it gently over her skin. Nethanel's hands seemed to be everywhere on her slim body, so Carver did his best to focus on her legs. They looked just like any other girl's legs he'd ever seen, not that there were many of those. Her skin was smooth and slippery, though, and it felt amazing under his hands.
He would have been mortally embarrassed by the bulge in his pants if Nethanel hadn't been just as visibly affected. Maeghan too, from what he could tell. Her skin was flushed and she met each of their touches impatiently, as if her body was begging for more.
"Carver. Please." Her hands were on him now, and he almost jumped back because her touch was so intense and he didn't know how long he would last.
He did get rid of the pants, though, but then he hesitated, instinctively looking to Nethanel for permission and guidance. The other man nodded briefly and took his hand, guiding it between Maeghan's legs. She opened up willingly for him and she was… hot and wet and tight and wonderful and he wanted her, oh Maker, he wanted her so much, and he had no idea how-
A firm hand wrapped around his cock, and he shuddered at the realization that it was Nethanel who'd taken hold of him and was now guiding him inside her. He slid home with a long, helpless gasp, completely overwhelmed by it all. No fantasy of his had ever prepared him for how good it felt to be surrounded by her, warm and snug and perfect.
Too perfect. His body was screaming at him to move, to thrust inside her, and it was more than he could bear. With another gasp, he gave in to the urge, his hips jerking hard against her, three, four times before he spilled deep inside her with a long, almost desperate groan.
Maeghan laughed softly, triumphantly, and then Nethanel pushed him aside, too impatient to wait, and took his place. Carver's knees were too wobbly to move, so he stayed there, right next to them, breathing in their sighs and gasps. The soft, rolling motion of Nethanel's hips was beautiful to watch, but then Maeghan wrapped her legs tight around his torso and urged him on.
"Harder. Please, Neth, more." Her voice was rough and breathless, and her hand scrambled for purchase in the sand until she found Carver's and threaded her fingers through his, pressing his hand hard.
Nethanel responded with a low growl, pushing himself up high on his arms and pounding inside her, hard and fast. She cried out and Carver bit his lip – surely, this had to be hurting her, had to be too much? But, Maeghan was still urging her lover on, with small sighs and whispered words, and Nethanel's pace became frantic. When her head flew back on a long sigh, her nails digging into his palm, it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
Carver kept holding her hand while Nethanel found his release with another hard, relentless thrust. Maeghan's face was flushed and happy, and Carver saw no reason to object when she pulled him in for a long kiss, then turned her head to kiss Nethanel too.
As he drifted off to sleep, listening to their low voices, Carver wondered once more if all of this was just a fevered dream, a vision sent by a desire demon to tempt him. Too good to be true. Breathing in Maeghan's salty, crisp scent, he closed his eyes. Please don't ever make me wake up again.
Maeghan woke early, flinching when she realized they had spent all night on the rough, sandy floor of the cave. The men were still fast asleep, stretched out on either side of her, so at least she wasn't cold. But, her back was aching and her arms and legs felt stiff. Quickly and silently she got to her feet, smiling at Carver's grunt when she wiggled out of his arms.
His face was scrunched up in sleep, two deep lines between his brows making him look sulky and resentful. She had felt it in him right from the start, the anger and the frustration. Something had gone badly wrong for him, out there, but she was convinced he would come to realize that things were different here, at the Keep.
She stretched and wolfed down a few dry biscuits she found near the fireplace, then she pulled on her leggings and got ready to leave. Swimming would do her good, help her clear her head and loosen her sore muscles. The sea would heal her, just as it always did. The sea was home.
Carefully, she stepped past Nethanel's sleeping body. He looked happy and sated, his powerful body heavy and relaxed. She was glad he had taken a liking to Carver. Maeghan had been happy with him for the past three years, but the others had been insistent, constantly reminding her that a young woman like her should have at least two mates, to increase her chance of healthy offspring.
She made a face as she bit down hard on the breather, not because of the salty, faintly unpleasant taste – she was used to that after all.
No, it was the memory of Gwynedd's pontificating tone that made her flinch. "It behooves you to take another mate, Maeghan. It is high time you added to our clan."
Much as she respected the older woman, Maeghan resented this kind of intrusion into her private life. And anyway, none of the young men from her clan had been suitable. Sure, Nethanel would have been happy enough with Andras. They had been good friends before Neth had come to her cave, maybe even more than that, Maeghan suspected. But Andras had never looked at her with the kind of hunger she knew and expected from a lover. And while the merfolk didn't necessarily mate for life, she didn't fancy taking a second man to her fire if he proved to be more like competition than anything else. In the end, her friend Vaileann had agreed to mate with Andras, but it was an open secret that they weren't happy together.
All those thoughts were forgotten the moment she was under the sea again. The water was cool on her skin, fresh and silky soft, and she allowed the waves to carry her, her blood singing with delight as she followed the familiar currents out to the open sea. Her net was securely attached to her belt, ready to be filled with food and treasure. Maeghan smiled to herself as she tried to imagine what adventures would await her today, what surprises the sea would hold for her. She had a feeling this was going to be a good day.
More hugs and thanks to suilven.