Page 42 of Chasing Tail
Chapter 22
Iwould have loved to have stayed in bed all day with Beck and Taron, but this wasn’t what I came to land for, even if it was a lot of fun. They were on our side, and this was going way better than I had ever hoped. I considered them friends. Beck was now a lover, and I wouldn’t mind experimenting with Forrest and Callum either.
Forrest was waiting with breakfast when we got out of bed, but Callum was missing. They had been watching us and learning, but Taron and I had been watching them too. Callum was the eldest. He hadn’t said it outright, but I saw him. He was the responsible one and dealt with the brunt of his father’s rage and paranoia, so Forrest and Beck didn’t have to.
I didn’t have to ask. He was doing that now because Beck spent the night with us, and Forrest left to cook for us. We didn’t need a mad king getting any wind that there were actual plots against him, and his sons were involved. I was fairly certain he was like an otter and saw wild conspiracy theories in everything.
I didn’t want that for Callum. He deserved to have fun and to go to all the shifter orgies he wanted to. I didn’t think Forrest and Beck even realized he put himself in their father’s line of sight so they could have more freedom. If they had known, they wouldn’t have given him such a hard time when Taron invited Beck to our bed.
I had a feeling Callum could get just as filthy as Beck and Forrest if he weren’t worried about his father.
“How long will Callum be hatchling sitting your father?” I asked.
“He’s gathering intel,” Forrest said. “Our stepmother isn’t doing well. There’s another treatment that doesn’t involve cutting her breasts off that would increase her chances of surviving, but she’s refusing that too because her hair would fall out. Our kingdom boasts some of the best wigmakers in the entire world. We’ve been known to trade wigs with other kingdoms they are that good. She still refused. He knows the ship sank, so he’ll be plotting something as equally awful. Callum is trying to find out.”
I wrinkled my nose. Idid notlike their stepmother, but I also had no idea what a wig was. Whatever it was, it was probably way less unpleasant than slowly dying. Or murdering innocent people trying to do magic every druid knew didn’t work.
“Okay, what the fuck is a wig?” I demanded.
“It’s hair. It’s worn on your head. People wear them for loads of reasons, not just because they’ve lost theirs. Some hairstyles people like to wear are complicated. There’s a lot of pulling to get it that way and a lot of washing and brushing to take it out. On the other hand, if you do it to a wig, you just slip it on and pin it. You can also change hair color whenever you want and change it back in an instant.”
“I liked it when Beck and Taron pulled my hair.”
“Liked spanking too,” Taron said, puffing up his chest.
He was so fucking proud of that.
Forrest started coughing and glared at Beck.
“You brought out the kink the first time?”
Beck plastered this innocent look on his face and fluttered his eyelashes.
“I never kiss and tell.”
“It was lovely,” I said. “If Taron doesn’t try to kill you, you should join us, Forrest.”
Taron looked intrigued by the idea, but Forrest turned a lovely shade of purple like I embarrassed him. I wasn’t sure why because, according to him, he did this when the moon was full.
“You’re quite forward in the ocean. Way more than the shifters.”
“I think it’s refreshing,” Beck said.
“My people are taking the patrols seriously. It wouldn’t shock me if they sent an emissary out to places you don’t have similar arrangements with. We are all territorial, but some mermaids consider your ships as just seeking passage. They only sink them if they lower nets in the water. If word spreads among the mermaids and sharks, everyone will be on patrol about what that ship did in my home. You won’t just have to worry about the sirens. If he tries again or sends other boats, they may be in danger.”
Since when did I care about land dweller ships sinking? I used to not care in the slightest. It was them or us. It didn’t have to be. I understood more now. The brothers explained they used their ships to trade with other kingdoms. I might not understand wigs, but I understood trade. We did that in the ocean too.
Callum interrupted us by storming into the dining room, followed by an absolutely lovely girl who looked just like him. He looked to be in a rotten mood, and she raised an eyebrow when she saw us.
“Sister?” Taron asked.
“What are you doing here, Topaz?” Beck demanded.
Forrest and Beck also seemed angry she was here, but I had a feeling she was a friend. She wanted to kill the druid king too. I had a feeling I’d like her.
“This sneaky motherfucker was asking a lot of questions. Iknowyou’re plotting something. Who is this? Or should I say,whatare they?”
“Go home, Topaz,” Forrest said.
