Chapter 4 - Attachment

Nethanel watched Carver, who was mending nets by the fire. The land dweller had settled in well in the past ten days, all things considered. True, he was clumsy at most of the domestic tasks, clearly unfamiliar with the tools, his thick fingers struggling with the delicate needles and knives. He also kept asking questions. His curiosity seemed limitless, and Nethanel found himself explaining the merpeople's life and habits over and over until his throat hurt from the unfamiliar effort of speaking.

He enjoyed their sparring sessions with the trident, however. Carver was a quick learner when it came to fighting, strong and surprisingly graceful once he'd got a grip on the basics. It was fun to measure his strength against another man once more, and Nethanel honestly appreciated the thought of having his mate at his side if the Deep Ones attacked again.

Just then, Carver glanced up from his work and gave him a shy smile, holding up the net. "Is this okay?"

"Looking good." He smiled back, surprised at the warmth blooming in his belly. It was all still very new but, he realized, he was getting attached to Carver.

Which was as it should be, of course. It had taken Maeghan comparatively long to find a second mate, but he'd always known it would happen someday. He'd even looked forward to it to some extent, having someone to share his duties with, someone to keep him company. Someone to fight at his side.

Yes, it was good to have Carver here, good not to be alone any more during the day. But, even better were the evenings they spent with Maeghan, making love and exploring each other's bodies to their hearts' content.

Like all young mermen, he'd experimented with other boys before Maeghan chose him, but nothing had prepared him for how exciting it would be to share her with Carver. Part of it was watching Maeghan with him. Nethanel was still surprised by how much it aroused him to see her writhe in Carver's strong arms. He simply hadn't expected to be so massively turned on by guiding the younger man's movements, hadn't realized it would be such a thrill to hear Carver's moans, to feel him slide in and out of Maeghan's body as he caressed her, making sure she'd get her pleasure, too.

Carver was still far too impetuous, of course, apt to spend far too early, overwhelmed by their caresses and the feel of Maeghan surrounding him, hot and tight. But then, he was still very young. Nethanel smiled wryly to himself, remembering his first few weeks in Maeghan's cave, more than three years ago. He'd been much the same, spilling inside her almost as soon as they were joined. Carver would learn.

When Maeghan returned that night, she was tired and irritable, so he wasn't really surprised when he found a pink seashell on her pillow the next morning. Not surprised, but a little sad, maybe. They'd been hoping for a baby for quite a while now, but in vain. Few children had been born to their clan in the past ten years, and he knew the women worried. He glanced at Carver, who was only just beginning to stir. Maybe adding the strength of another man's seed would help.

Carver yawned, but looked confused when he showed him the shell. "What does it mean?"

Of course. Another thing he wouldn't know about. Nethanel sighed. "It's that time of the month. The new moon," he elaborated when Carver still looked baffled. "She can't go out to comb the sea like this – the blood would attract predators. And she can't mate with us either. So she's gone to be with Gwynned, our Clan Mother, to spend the time learning about things women need to know."

"Oh. Right." Carver was blushing, but then he frowned. "So when she… gets like that, she just leaves, and we stay alone in the caves?"

Nethanel nodded. "Usually. Before you came along, it was a lonely time for me." He raised his hand and softly stroked Carver's cheek with his thumb. "I'm glad you're here."

Carver blushed even deeper, but he didn't flinch or push him back. "So am I."

Once again, Nethanel felt a pleasant shiver. All through the day, as they were tending to their duties, he considered his next move. When Maeghan failed to show up in the evening, Carver seemed a bit lost, more restless than usual. Nethanel knew staying in the cave all day was hard on him. He was used to moving about, meeting people, talking. Especially talking. The landfolk seemed to do a lot of talking, from what he could gather.

"So, what do we do now?" Carver was kneeling next to the fire, poking the embers with a long stick, his expression almost cranky. "When will Maeghan be back?"

Nethanel shrugged. "Four days, maybe five. Do you miss her?"

Carver nodded. "Yeah. I miss her, and I miss-" He broke off, biting his lip. It was hard to tell in the firelight, but Nethanel was pretty sure he was blushing again.

"We don't have to wait for her to come back, you know." Moving closer, he placed a hand on Carver's thigh, relishing the small tremble this elicited. "You're my mate just as much as hers."

"Oh." Carver's tongue darted out to lick his lips. "But what-"

"Anything we fancy." Unable to contain his impatience, Nethanel leaned in for a kiss.

They had kissed before, with Maeghan there to watch them, which she obviously enjoyed. But this was different, just the two of them, focussing on each other instead of her pleasure, and the kiss turned frantic with almost shocking speed. Within moments, it was all teeth and tongue, all refinement lost as they drank in each other's taste, both of them trembling with sudden hunger.

Nethanel didn't hold back any longer. With one hand holding Carver in place, he slid down along the younger man's body, his lips never leaving his skin, licking, sucking, and playfully nipping at him, until he reached the waistline of the tight pants. Carver was straining against them, moaning with relief when he freed him from the confining material.

And then he was all laid bare, so beautiful, leaning back on his arms, his stomach rippling with muscles, his breath coming in quick, hard gasps, his cock jutting out hard and proud. It was a pity, but Nethanel could only take a moment to appreciate him, because he had to taste him, now. And, Goddess, it was perfect, Carver's taste and weight on his tongue, his hand in his hair, his eyes fluttering shut, and every muscle going taut in his body.

"Maker, Neth, you-" Carver was clearly struggling for words, but when Nethanel flicked his tongue against him, swirling it around his pulsing member, he shook his head. "Let me."

He carefully wiggled around to lie down on his side next to Nethanel and slowly, uncertainly, but with a determined look on his face, pulled down his pants and took him between his lips. Nethanel gasped hard. He hadn't expected this, and it felt good, more than good, though Carver was very obviously new to this and unsure of how to proceed. But, he kept at it, imitating whatever Nethanel did to him and that was… sweet and somehow touching and also incredibly hot.

He faltered when he was close, and Nethanel didn't bother to hold back his brief triumphant laugh when he arched up, shaking all over with the power of his climax. But then Carver's mouth was back, with nothing to distract him this time, and his own arousal quickly spiralled upward, so quickly he couldn't help the sudden, sharp thrust of his hips, didn't have time to warn the other man before he came hard, his fingers clenched into Carver's broad shoulders.

Carver had no choice but to swallow, but found to his surprise that he didn't mind. It hadn't been easy to pluck up the courage to reciprocate Neth's caresses but, now that he'd made up his mind, he was determined to go through with it. Besides, the taste wasn't unpleasant, not really. And doing this to Nethanel, making him come undone in such a manner, was exciting. It made him feel powerful, important, needed in a way he'd never been before.

Of course, when he pulled back and let go of Nethanel's softening cock, the embarrassment returned immediately. His ears and cheeks felt hot with more than just arousal, and he avoided Nethanel's gaze, reaching for his pants instead.

But Neth wasn't having any of that. Taking hold of Carver's chin, he made him look up, his grip firm enough to make it clear he would accept no evasion. "Carver. Thank you." A soft smile spread over his features. "That was… amazing."

"Yeah, well…" Carver mumbled, feeling his flush deepen. "Thank you. I don't really-"

"Shhh." Nethanel silenced him with a quick kiss. "Come. Let's get ready for the night."

They extinguished the fire and tidied up their few belongings, then set up the usual traps outside the cave entrance. Nethanel had shown him where they were hidden and how to disarm them only two days before – a sign of the growing trust between them, as Carver well knew.

He didn't really understand why they were necessary, though, just as he was unclear on what exactly they were guarding the caves against. Both Maeghan and Nethanel had mentioned the "Deep Ones", but neither of them had elaborated on this, and so far life at the Keep had been quiet and peaceful to the point of boredom.

And yet, as he glanced up at his surroundings, he felt a curious sense of elation. Even with the fire gone out, the cave wasn't completely dark. There was a kind of natural window in the rock above their fireplace that allowed the smoke to escape and let in sunlight by day. Now, with the moon shining down on them, everything was bathed in silvery light. A magical place.

Carver shivered. He wasn't much given to flights of fancy as a rule, but what he had experienced during the past weeks had been eye-opening in more ways than one. Here he was, living straight in the middle of a fairy tale, in a world that was nothing like what he'd known before, doing… things he'd never even considered before. Excitement swelled up within him, filling his chest until it felt about to burst.

Nethanel was watching him quietly, giving him time to sort out his feelings. When he placed a warm hand on Carver's shoulder, there was no pressure or condescension about the gesture, just an offer of closeness and support.

"Neth?" Carver swallowed hard. "Thank you."

The warm smile he received in answer made his heart beat faster, and at the same time it made him feel more secure than he'd ever been.

They were both standing at the mouth of the outer cave, looking out for Maeghan's return. Carver was looking forward to seeing her again, though being alone with Neth for the past few nights had been... wonderful in its own way. He already knew he was going to treasure these special times they had had together in the months to come.

"Well, it seems she won't be back tonight after all." Nethanel turned to face him with a sigh.

Carver was about to agree, when a movement in the sand a few steps away from Neth's left foot caught his eye. He tried to cry out a warning, but even as he opened his mouth, a whole section of sand erupted in a whirl as something leaped up from the ground and toward Nethanel. A creature the likes of which he'd never seen, a huge, flat fish with bulging white eyes and a gaping maw of tiny, pointed teeth, its scales coated all over with fine, glittering grains of sand.

Without thinking, Carver ran, pushing Neth aside and putting himself between him and the beast. The thing's jaws opened wide, and there was a moment of excruciating pain when they locked around his ankle. The last thing he saw was Maeghan's face, pale and shocked as she rose from the water.

Then the world went dark.

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