Page 73 of Seduced By the Mermen
Sterling
I glare at Delmar, but he’s not picking up anything. His big tuna eyes are dilated with lust for Blair. I give him a not-so-subtle poke with my elbow into his stomach and incline my head at the platters piling up around him.
Blair scoops up a large mound of clams and puts it on my plate. “Too much?”
“No.” It’s more than I would ever take for myself but not more than I want, and certainly not more than I can eat. A long time ago, there was a big deal about where on the table the platters started. Never near me, or someone might not get what they wanted, was the teasing.
I pass the platter to Delmar, who’s cleared the surrounding space by passing the platters to Clark. What in the hell has gotten into him? Out of my pod brothers, I thought he would have been the most sensible. Not old Clark but the one who’s rumbled around in this apartment for the last s years. The one who does nothing but work. Focusing on his career—his so-called legacy.
“Do you want some seaweed?” Blair holds up a ladle of sauteed tender seaweed.
“No.” I take it from her and pass it to Delmar, who piles the bitter greens onto his plate.
“Sterling eats like a podlet. If it’s green, he’s not having it,” Clark says.
I expect Blair to laugh. After all, the two of them had a good connection at my expense. Instead, her eyebrows shoot up. “I’m sure Sterling eats what he needs to eat.”
“‘Often’ is his favorite way to eat,” Zion says.
Blair smirks. “That’s my favorite way to eat too.” There’s a smattering on her plate of every dish that’s come around.
“You know, it’s mine as well,” Zion counters. “Look at that, Sterling, we have more in common than you’d like to think.”
“I like you well enough.” I take a drink of water. While Blair is in our apartment, I’m on duty. The others are on their second glass of seaweed gin, Nereus Nectar—a gin strong enough to make a shifter drunk.
“Whoa, was that a compliment?” Zion smirks.
“I could do without your snoring.” I place my empty glass down on the table, but there’s no server to refill it. I stand and take the pitcher from the side table, refilling my glass and then Blair’s.
Her blue eyes glance up at me. So tender. “Thank you,” she says in a soft tone under the din of laughter around the table.She’s lovely, but she’s not for me. Not for us. We’ll tarnish her, ruin her, and cause her destruction.
Chapter 30
Blair
Ismile at Forrest. The governor of Stele—I guess I thought he’d be the de facto leader of the pod. He’s not, though. There’s no iron glove ofthis is my way. Actually, he’s rather sweet. He took his time explaining everything to me. And it’s downright charming that he’s a little shy with me.
“The food was delicious,” I whisper to him. Grayson, Delmar, and Zion at the other end of the table are having a heated discussion about their favorite sports team.
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell Rodgers that you liked it. Did you have a favorite?”
I glance at my plate. “I’m a fan of hedge-tots, but then that’s one of the dishes that is most familiar to me. If I had to pick another, I’d say thesardani grael.The sardines and grains complimented each other well. But then I was surprised how much I liked the sauteed seaweed.”
“It’s good.” His head bobs up and down.
“What’s your favorite?” I ask Forrest.
“I don’t really have favorites, but I do like the sauce for the salmon. I tend to like most things. I’m not a big complainer.”
I glance at Alexei across the table from me as he puts in his two cents. “It’s true. For a politician, Forrest doesn’t complain. Imyself love the sauteed seaweed as well. And you can’t go wrong with hedge-tots.”
I nod. “So, no favorite foods? What’s your favorite thing to do, then?” I take a drink of my water. I’ve only had a few sips of the seaweed gin. It’s too strong for me. And the last time I got tipsy—not that I intended to, and I know Grayson didn’t do it on purpose—I had a hard time controlling my hands. Though I don’t think any of the guys minded. Other than Sterling. I glance over at my neighbor.
“Do you like sports, Blair? Football or one of the shifter sports like Kunyon?” Alexei asks.
“I’ve never had time to follow it. I like the idea of watching sports and how it creates a community. My dad was a big North Dakota Bisons fan, and I suppose over the years I’ve watched some games. Though I wouldn’t guess you have football or Kunyon here?”
“No.” Alexei laughs. “We have something like what you would call track and field. It’s swimming instead of running and then throwing a trident instead of a javelin or discus. There’s a slalom-like competition where you have to be nimble through a tight space without touching the sides?—”
