"Sir please-"
"Things need to be done Tabitha." Pulling away from his subordinate he inspected the wrapped wound and deemed it well enough to continue the daily chores. "Simply make sure to take extra precaution when handling the merfolk until their heat is over."
"I-I...yes sir." Tabitha murmured softly, holding back the natural utterance of 'please don't work anymore today.' that Maxie would never heed. A staff of 3 had to feed and keep their newest school of mermaids from harming each other (or the other handlers) during their first primal heat as a newly formed clan.
That meant at least 20 merfolk per 1 handler until the pairs would be (naturally) made and the majority would be calmer and a whole lot less territorial (and temperamental).
"Sir Maxie...I would like to handle...trade alpha to Tabitha." Courtney muttered insistently. The younger man instantly grew rigid at the thought.
"Oh no, don't you push that on me. I dealt with that obnoxious sharpedo for 3 WEEKS-"
"So loud..." She motioned to cover her ears. "Howling at all hours...ugh..."
"He's in heat." Oh. Yes. That one. "At least, he should be. If neither of you will do the job I-"
"It'd be dangerous for you to go alone sir. Especially now that you're...injured."
"I'm aware of the risks but annoying or no he needs to be fed. As do the others. I can't have half our team in one place for a long period of time because of paranoia." Absently mindedly he squeezed his fist, feeling the strain of the bandage trying to close the shallow bite mark on his palm. The pain was only moderate. Nothing to be worried over so long as he kept it clean. "I should be back before noon. Also, be careful of Sasha, her nest is near the shallow end of the rock pile so she should be expecting eggs any day now."
"Got it!"
"Understood..." Both saulted him before getting to their jobs. Maxie set to work on getting the metal tin with that days meal. As well as a stun baton should anything go amiss (special or no, an angry mermaid still had the ability to rip you to shreds at a moments notice).
The walk over to the solitary tanks was quiet save for the low hums of other merfolk trying to court one another with beautiful melodies.
Making it odd that one of the highest ranking Alpha males in the clan only seemed to be able to make noises resembling screeches or battle roars. The closer he got to the building, the louder the sound of those roars seemed to get. Once in awhile dropping to a low, almost lonely sounding whine whenever the door twitched open a bit.
As soon as the door WAS open however, there was a loud splash and another attempt at a roar as he circled 'his' rock.
"Enjoying making a ruckus Archie?" The large merman looked up for a moment in confusion. Clicking a bit before sending him a dirty look as he perched himself back on the rock to watch him.
Three clicks...well he isn't angry yet. Clicks resounded a greeting in many ways a bark did for a dog; mostly for humans as a way to express something. One click was typically a neutral, disinterested greeting while two (in the case of the particularly LARGE but gentle sharpedo that liked Tabitha) spoke of excitement and general happiness to see them. With the Archie, it was always three clicks directed squarely at Maxie.
Honestly he wasn't sure what that meant. The Alpha never seemed fond of the redhead since they had found him with 2 other very injured mermaids (often switching from two clicks to screeching, which was a very obvious 'I find your presence in my territory threatening, go away right now' on a whim). He had gotten better, or at least handleable when the three decided on bringing the many clanless merfolk together to form a working hierarchy. That went out the window the second week of mating season with the Alpha refusing to let anyone (mermaid or human alike) near him or the feeding area.
Naturally Archie was put in solitary until he calmed down but that only seemed to agitate him MORE. Howling and thrashing about wildly in a show of dominance to anyone around. Maxie managed to at least make the THRASHING stop by putting a rock in the middle of the water that allowed him to seem taller than everyone else. It worked.
"Come eat before your food rots."
Archie watched him put the meat onto the food slab (a hanging metal bowl that encouraged the sea people to use their upper arms and spend a small amount of time on land) but did not move. As usual.
This is what took so long during feeding time; getting the Alpha to eat (and if left unattended he would not eat in favor of more howling) which meant waiting.
A lot of waiting. During this period Maxie would take off those annoying sandals and fiddle with the cellphone Courtney had gotten him for his birthday. It didn't look very different from an ordinary phone, but the multitude of apps that didn't seem to exist on others of the same model perplexed him greatly. Mostly dealing with their work (Name generators? Really?) and a musical rhythm game from Kanto some people were currently into.
A soft string of clicks made him flinch (why were they so close?!) before noticing the large, half human fish pouting near his feet. Their eyes locked and Archie dragged himself closer. Practically laying on top of Maxie's lap with his large hands planted firmly next to his hips so he couldn't flee.
"Why have you not heeded my calls?" The typically bubbly and rich voice came out harsh and heavy. Thick with strain and overuse (as well as irritation) Maxie noticed as he mourned the fact (should things go decently) that he'd now reek of fish the rest of the day.
"Why did you decide you could just throw tantrums and attack your clan members?"
"They kept panderin to me. I don't want any of them as my mate." That sentence was worrying. As was the distance closing in on his back and the sand. The stun rod was out of reach and Archie's face was much too in reach. "Omega...?"
"W-who are you calling-?!" Maxie held in a yelp as the Alpha merman rubbed his face against his neck. His soaked beard still tickling the redhead's skin and making it smell of sea water. The other's skin felt cold to the touch and made him shudder when a breeze reminded him of the thin shirt and trunks now very wet and sticking to him uncomfortably.
"...o-oh." With a jolt the merman pushed himself up. Eyeing Maxie with a thick blush as he looked on with a sudden realization. "I...why you never came...my song..."
Song...? In reality, the merfolk were no 'mermaids' but of domesticated sirens. Versions that fed on animals instead of people and could be handled without fear of being drowned out of instincts. They mated by constructing a song for those who they wished to be with, and siren's mated for life.
"I never sang my song for you." Maxie tried to find a reason to stop him. Of the difference in species, the fact they weren't compatible, the fact they were both male. Nothing seemed to bother the alpha who blushed a bit harder when he grumbled out. "I...know we can't have offspring. It saddened me greatly at first but...I won't let that black haired human Alpha to touch you. I will be more than content with you alone."
Black haired...? Tabith-? No even the others said...He groaned at the realization HE made; his boss, the owner of the land had visited a few times. Archie had reacted very poorly at the time but since it had been so soon after bringing him in everyone assumed he was still adjusting. Black haired...alpha...sounds like Giovanni.
He didn't have much more time to grimace about the misunderstanding as a melody filled his head. Archie's voice was still lovely even after the weeks of strain, singing a hauntingly hypnotic song that caused something under his skin to grow hot. It sounds...sweet but...Low and longing but sadness dripping into the ends that made his body twitch as if his nerves were on fire.
"Omega...my omega..." Maxie tried to speak but felt his jaw was numb and his tongue heavy in his mouth. The alpha- no his alpha- wait...w-wait what am I...? "...was it not enough?"
His mind was muddled. Sweat clung to him even though it was cool. Every ounce of shame stung fiercely as he whimpered out. "Alpha...need you..."
Archie's demeanor changed with that utterance. Clawed hands forced off his clothes with extreme effort on not just ripping them off. Eyes dark and gleaming as he pulled Maxie close and opened his mouth once more.
A single note this time, making what little resistance Maxie felt melt into ache. He truly felt like he was burning up, begging things no normal person would say under the most extreme circumstances.
"Maxie...my Omega...mine." He should've been worried about the sharp rows of teeth brushing against his shoulder and throat with every intent to bite down. Of the nails all but breaking the skin as Archie held him still. Of everything logically wrong with this situation instead of aiding the Alpha in getting into a better position and eagerly anticipating the undeniable fact he would be claimed.
There wasn't any preparation. None was needed with how easily the other slipped in despite the sheer size. The cock was already leaking and swollen and made the awful heat cease for moment. A single moment of blissful chill that forced the aching feeling to be filled to be of the most importance.
"Al-ah...need...more...Arch-" Maxie couldn't get the words to form correctly. He didn't need to. Not that his Alpha was doing much better; drooling and running his palm over the redhead's chest gently as he fully unsheathed and started moving.
The pace was desperate and rough, teeth sinking into his neck as he cried out to go faster. Harder. To breed him.
Accidently his hand stroked alongside a thin membrane near a fin and made the already moaning mess of a siren fumble into whimpers. Repeating the action gained him a hand scrambling to stop him from running his fingers under the delicate flesh.
"S-stop th...! I'll finish too...if you keep...! Dammit listen to me!" There was no anger in the shout. More just frustration and lust as he slammed forward in retaliation.
They weren't going to last long. Both sides were clinging to one another as they neared climax. Maxie nearly felt his his eyes roll back at the sheer amount of cum pumped into him when they came. A tinge of pain registered as well as the smell of blood mixed in with sex through the pleasure.
When he was able he looked up to see Archie kissing his injured hand softly. The wrapping off and wound bleeding freely down the side of his arm.
"It's fine, just..." His stomach felt oddly full and any warmth nicely limited. Even soft the large member left him internally satisfied. "They weren't very happy with us moving you."
"And now they will know who ya belong to." Back to acting like the normal Archie. He was puffing out his chest with pride as he struggled to put the wrap back on. Instead letting Maxie do it and just lick off the blood on his lips. "What...erm...what do humans do after...?"
"YOU have to eat. I have to go back to feeding the others- ngh..." Sitting up after he pulled out had the unpleasant sensation of the sticky liquid running down his bare legs into the sand. "...first to rinse off, then..."
"You'll come back? N-not that I don't think ya will but- some humans...they don't...after all we just...it's a big deal. You reacted to my song."
Maxie looked at the siren, in the odd series of events, that technically would be his lover now. Watching the pleading look as he responded with a heavy sigh. "I know. It's...this isn't what I ever expected to happen but- it did happen. So...yes, I'll come back."
Archie beamed at him. Again making those low three clicks but followed with two loud ones that made him smile at the pure joy the other exhibited.
"Now get back in the water before you dry up. I couldn't carry you back in normally."
"Hmph...my Omega is bossy." Grabbing the food his Alpha (it...felt oddly naturally saying that) grumbled as he dragged himself back towards the shallows.