Page 39 of Beneath the Surface

“I sincerely hope so.” Nisha eyed Kannon’s chest.

“Jeez, stop that or that towel is going to be put to other uses.” Kannon adjusted his cock.

As tempting as that was, he really wanted to introduce Kannon to his world. Laying his mate out on the towel could wait until later. After he stripped, Nisha took Kannon by the hand and walked toward the water. Already he could hear Kannon’s breathing increase. Once the water was around their waists, he took Kannon’s other hand and looked his mate straight the eye.

“Now, I want you to think about breathing. Breathe in. Feel your diaphragm contract? Try to feel it as it moves downward. In, and out. In, and out. Good. Close your eyes.”

Kannon closed his eyes.

“Think about your neck. Think about all the nerves and muscles in there. How smooth the skin is. But wait. What’s that? Maybe it wasn’t as smooth as you first thought. Feel something there? Something that has never been there before? Yes?”

Kannon nodded.

“Focus on that. Does it tingle?”

Again Kannon nodded.

“That’s excellent. That’s exactly what we want. Keep your eyes close and keep concentrating.”

Kannon’s breathing smoothed out into a steady in and out rhythm.

Nisha lowered his voice. “You’re doing so well. Concentrate. Keep breathing for me… lose yourself in the rhythm. Good, good. Keep breathing, and look deep inside yourself. Focus on the tingling in your neck.”

Kannon frowned then his face smoothed out.

“Feel it?”

Kannon nodded.

“Good. Concentrate on that feeling. We’re going to open your gills now. I want you to pretend like you’re trying to open a window. A window that’s been painted over. It’s stuck. Force the window open.Now.”

Kannon’s breathing accelerated, and his face screwed up into a grimace as his body tensed. His eyebrows lowered, and his lips tightened. The cords in his neck stood out and then Kannon suddenly grunted his eyes flew open just as the gills appeared on his neck.

“Holy crap!” Kannon reached for his neck, but Nisha caught his hands.

“Easy. Be very gentle. They’re going to be sensitive especially since this is their first time opening.”

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I canfeelthem!” Kannon hopped from one foot to the other in the water. Small waves drifted out. “Seriously, like really feel them. They kind of tickled when they opened and, and… holy moly! I have gills.”

“Yes you do, mate.” Nisha pressed a swift kiss to Kannon’s lips even as he smiled at the excitement in Kannon’s voice. “Now listen to me.”

Kannon stopped jumping around and stared at Nisha. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Of course not. I’m just going to give you a quick crash course on gills. As you know, fish—just like humans—breathe oxygen, but their gills pull oxygen out of the water. Merfolk do the same. Now, so can you.”

“How exactly do they work? I mean, I’m not sure I can wrap my head around this.”

“In the most simplistic terms, water is forced across the gills and dissolved oxygen is taken in by tiny blood vessels and veins in the gills. Seawater carries away the carbon dioxide.”

“You know, I never noticed it until now, but you would’ve made a good teacher,” Kannon said. “You like to lecture.”

“I… oh, bite me.”

“No, I’m serious. You’re really good at lecturing.”

“Wait until we get home,” Nisha growled. “I’m going to show you all about ‘lecturing’… possibly with the flat of my hand.”

“Ohhhh, can’t wait.”

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