Page 34 of Chasing Tail
“We have to do something,” Forrest said. “He’s going to try again. We are all curious about mermaids and life under the sea. It makes sense mermaids like Kishi’s sister are curious about us too. More of them could risk it and swim into the nets. If sharks are their protectors, they could get caught too.”
“I agree,” Callum said. “This madness has to stop, and it’ll get worse if she dies. He’s going to lash out. If not the mermaids, he’ll start a war with someone else. We have to stop him.”
I pulled Callum down for a kiss. He kissed me back this time, and there was heat to it. I felt much better now that he was on my side again.
“I want to help, but I don’t want any of you to get into trouble. I think relations between land and sea would be much better with the three of you on the throne.”
“Callum is the eldest, so he would be king,” Forrest said.
“Why do the two of you kiss so freely?” Beck said.
“Do you not like it?” I asked. “We don’t have fins, so we can’t brush them against you to communicate in ways that don’t use words. Plus, you’re all very pretty, and I like you.”
Forrest started choking, and Callum pounded him on the back.
“I’m not complaining in the slightest,” Beck said. “The two of you can kiss me whenever you want.”
Taron took that as an open invitation and pulled Beck into a kiss. I just rolled my eyes. Callum and Forrest didn’t seem to care the two men were kissing. They didn’t even care that Taron was a shark and Beck was a druid. Beck didn’t care either and kissed him back. That was nice. That kind of thing wouldn’t fly in the ocean.
“We need to come up with a plan when you’re done kissing Taron,” Callum said.
“It’ll have to be for both of them,” Forrest said. “Our stepmother is universally disliked, and Callum is more than of age to rule, but she’ll attempt to insert herself as regent and make damned sure none of us take the throne.”
Beck pulled away from Taron and yanked us to the couch. I was in a big cuddle pile with the two of them, and it was seriously lovely.
“Whatever we do, it can’t tie back to us. He still has supporters,” Beck said.
“We can’t make our move until we are sure.”
“Use us,” Taron grunted.
His speech was getting so much better just from listening and learning. I was so proud of him. He growled at me when I bit his ear to show support.
“You aren’t going anywhere near him,” Callum said. “But you have an entire world of magic in the ocean that no one can trace here. We can use that. Let’s put our heads together.”
My plans seemed to change every day here. I had wanted to look him in the eye and tell him I was killing him for my sister and Taron’s family as I slid that dagger in his gut. I knew now the chances of Taron and I living through that were slim, even with the princes on our side. And I could end up implicating them.
Maybe I didn’t need to look him in the eye and be the one to kill him. I could have a hand in his death and be content in the knowledge it was done.
I’d make sure Callum’s really nice ass was firmly on the throne, then Taron and I could see if the ocean would welcome us back.
I knew I’d miss the brothers, and I’d miss Taron like this.
