Into the Triangle (10 page)

After his past relationship's spectacular failure, Gabe planned to do everything he could to make this one work.

Please, let this one work,
he prayed silently.

"Hey, Pax? Before we go meet with your people, can we stop by and see Mary and Aaron? I really need to check on them…" He paused when he noticed a wary look cross over the big mer's face. "What? What is it? Are they okay?"

Paxton nodded slowly. "Yes, my own. They are fine. It's just… your friend Aaron was gravely injured and due to the fact neither had a pearl to protect them from the depths of the sea, precautions had to be taken to see to their safety."

Gabe frowned, not liking how Paxton had carefully phrased his words. "What kind of precautions?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Paxton shrugged then sighed, reaching up to run his fingers through his long hair.

"It's hard to explain…. Perhaps showing you would be easier. Come."

Gabe uncrossed his arms and took the hand Paxton held out to him, allowing the King to lead him toward the door and into the palace beyond.

Chapter 10

Gabe followed Paxton out of the bedroom and into the long, empty marble hallway. The tile was cold on his bare feet.

"Oh, wait one moment!" Paxton let go of Gabe's hand and ducked back into the bedroom, leaving Gabe to stand in the hallway alone.

Probably forgot something
, Gabe mused. Shrugging his shoulders, he started to look around the hallway. He liked the smooth, polished floor and the swirls of pink in the marble walls. Large tapestries depicting the palace and its surrounding sea life, including whales and fish of all types, lined the walls. Little enclaves were spaced about twenty feet apart down the length of the hallway, with benches and tables settled next to large windows, providing a quiet and private space for people to sit and rest, while also making the hallway light and airy.

Gabe liked it. Despite the grandness and extravagance of the palace he'd seen so far, it still felt warm and comfortable. It was somewhere he thought he could see himself living for a very long time.

Moving closer to one of the large windows, Gabe gazed out at the strange new world he found himself in.

Below the window appeared to be a large courtyard, where mer of all shapes and sizes, walking on two legs, bustled back and forth, running errands. There was a group off to one side, where a large mer standing in front of the others seemed to be instructing them in the proper use of a staff.

Beyond the courtyard was a great wall and large, open gates leading out into the rest of the kingdom. Gabe could just make out the shapes of what looked like shops and homes, when something else caught his eye.

"Oh… my…" he breathed in wonder as he watched a large school of fish swim around the exterior of the city. They seemed to be following some strange sort of path around the edges, but never did they actually swim inside. Gabe's eyes widened when he noticed a faint shimmer between the school of fish and the city itself.

"It's some sort of force-field," he whispered in awe.
That must be what keeps the water and everything out in the ocean at bay, leaving the city dry and the mer walking on two feet
…
they don't actually need fins unless out in the ocean itself
!

"It's magic…" Gabe gasped. "Amazing."
That must be what Pax meant when he said the magic of the city allowed him to walk on two legs but only inside it
.

Damn, he was seriously starting to feel like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole.

The sound of voices coming from the end of the hallway pulled Gabe from his thoughts. His eyes widened when he saw a pair of Merfolk walking toward him, talking quietly among themselves. One was a female, with bright yellow hair, the color of pollen, and a simple dress of white. The other was a male, whose hair was an odd shade of orange, and he too was dressed in white, although his were white breaches and a white shirt.

Both had pearls in their foreheads; the female's was a bright pink and the male's was a dark blue.

Gabe froze, unsure what to do. Other than Paxton, he'd never met another mer before. Should he introduce himself? But what would he say? "
Hi, I'm Gabe
…
I mated your king and I'm running from a psychopath who wants to steal my mate pearl and kill us all
…
by the way, I hope you guys don't mind I'm human
."

Yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon.

Just as he was about to duck back into the bedroom to avoid being seen, the female suddenly noticed him and her voice drifted away. The male followed her gaze and he too stopped speaking.

The three of them stared at each other for a long moment then the male took a step forward.

"This is the private wing of the Royal Family, you can't be in here! Who are—?" he started to ask when the female elbowed him in his stomach. "Ouch, Hentra! What—?"

"Look Nicolo!" she hissed, subtly motioning with her chin toward Gabe's forehead and his pearl.

The male mer's eyes widened, mouth opening and closing in shock for a moment, before bowing low at the waist. The female did the same, following the other mer's lead.

They both stayed bowed, and Gabe didn't know what to do. The two seemed to be waiting for him to say something, but what?

"They're showing deference to your station and waiting for you to acknowledge them. Only the King and his mate have black pearls, so they know you must be someone very important."

Gabe jumped at the soft, feminine voice coming from behind him.

Turning, he saw a tall mer woman with hair the color of a cloudless, blue sky standing behind him. She was beautiful, with the face of a Madonna and dove gray eyes that shone with an eerie intelligence. Purple and blue scales ran along her neck and gills, over the edges of her bare arms, and across the top of her bare, webbed feet. Her dress of dark blue was lined with gold trim and the way it cascaded and draped about her, accentuated her lush, Rubenesque frame.

She smiled softly, her light purple pearl catching in the light.

For some reason, it looked oddly familiar to Gabe.

"Smile and nod in return, and they'll go on about their way," the mer instructed.

Biting his lip, but mentally shrugging, Gabe did as the woman suggested. He smiled and nodded at the two bowing mer when they glanced up at him. The two immediately stood upright and smiled at him in return. They walked around him, pausing to bow to the mysterious mer woman. She smiled and nodded just as she had told Gabe to do, and the other mer quickly left.

Leaving Gabe alone with the strange female mer.

"Uh, who are you?" Gabe asked softly. The female's eyes widened then she laughed, a joyous sound that filled the hallway.

"Oh, I do apologize. I am Dalia, Princess of the Merfolk, sister to Paxton, the King of Lavantia and the Sea. And you must be Gabriel, his chosen mate. It's a pleasure to meet you." She curtsied to him.

Gabe's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't know Pax had a sister. I… uh, yes, I'm Gabriel. Well, everyone calls me Gabe." He gave a hesitant bow back to her. It probably looked ridiculous, but he figured it was protocol when meeting royalty.

She smiled back at him, so Gabe figured he didn't mess it up too bad.

A strong arm wrapped around Gabe's waist, causing him to tense in alarm until the scent of salt water, coconut, and musk drifted around him. Gabe immediately relaxed, and leaned back into his mate's embrace.

"Sorry it took so long, my own. I forgot to grab the box, then figured I'd better put on some better clothes if I'm going to meet with my advisors. I doubt I'll have time to change later," Paxton said, then laid a gentle kiss on Gabe's temple. Turning in his arms to face him, Gabe saw that Paxton had indeed changed into a fresh pair of dark green breeches and a dark black shirt with silver stitching.

Gabe frowned, feeling even more self-conscious now since all he wore was a simple robe. Paxton leaned down and kissed Gabe's brow, and immediately he forgot all about his worry.

If he doesn't care, then I don't either
.

"Hello, brother," Dalia spoke up, interrupting the moment.

"Hello, sister," Paxton replied, winking at Gabe before turning him around and turning his attention to the other mer. He made sure to keep a proprietary arm around Gabe's waist, much to Gabe's secret joy. "What brings you to my chambers? I do believe I asked that my mate and I have time to settle in before being bombarded by well-wishers." Paxton's voice sounded firm, but the mirth lurking in his dark gray eyes told Gabe he was only joking with her.

Dalia smiled sheepishly. "I wanted to meet him… and now I'm glad I have. That he brings you so much pleasure is obvious already, big brother. I am happy for you both." Her smile suddenly turned a bit sad, and her eyes filled with longing as she gazed at the two of them.

Gabe shot a questioning look over his shoulder at mate. Paxton sighed.

"Dalia's mate never came to the sea," Paxton explained. "It's hasn't been easy for her."

"Oh." Gabe looked back at the sad mer. "I-I'm sorry." He immediately thought about the box of pearls in Paxton's possession and wondered if Dalia's mate had been one of the unfortunate ones who gave up their lives for the love of the Merfolk.

Dalia sighed and then shrugged. "It's doesn't matter anymore. It's been years since I've seen my mate. She didn't come home to me, didn't respond to any of my calls. Unfortunately, that seems more and more common among our people over the years."

"She?" Gabe questioned in surprise. Paxton squeezed his waist and nuzzled his neck.

"The mer do not hold the same stigma of same-sex relationships as the humans on the surface," Paxton explained. "Most often, males and females only get together for procreation purposes. There are some couples who are mated that way, but more often than not, a mer will choose a mate of their own gender."

"Exactly," Dalia nodded. "When you and Pax are ready to have kids, you will choose a female to bear them then you will raise the child together."

Gabe's eyes widened and he suddenly began to sweat.
Kids
?
I'm still trying to figure out this whole mating thing
…
kids aren't even on the radar right now
! Knowing he was gay from the time he was young, Gabe honestly never expected to become a father, let alone a parent to a mer-baby.
Oh god, what if it swims away or loses a scale or something
?
Crap
!
I can't do this, I can't do this
…

Gabe didn't even realize he was struggling to get out of Paxton's hold until he found his arms pinned to his side and was turned until his face was buried in a strong, male chest.

"Calm down, my own. We both need time to adjust to our mating before we start thinking about bringing new life into this world. Be calm, love." Paxton's deep voice helped soothe Gabe's anxiety, and he took a couple of deep breaths, breathing in his mate's unique scent to help calm himself.

He looked up just in time to see Paxton shoot his sister a glare.

Gabe couldn't help but blush.
Man, way to show what a spaz I am right in front of my mate and his sister
…
my new sister-in-law
! He groaned and buried his burning face back in between Paxton's strong pecs.

"Sorry, Gabe. I didn't mean to frighten you," Dalia said. Gabe reluctantly turned around to face her—sure she would be making fun of him—but Dalia only smiled softly at him.

"Does the idea of children bother you so much?" Paxton asked softly. Gabe turned to look up at his mate, seeing the hesitant look in his storm-cloud eyes, knowing the answer was important to their relationship.

Gabe decided to answer truthfully. "It's not that I'm not interested in having kids… it's just I'm not even sure what will tomorrow will bring. Things are going to get rocky soon and I don't want to bring kids into such upheaval." Gabe sighed. "Besides, I don't even know if I'd be a good dad… I mean, what happens if the baby gets sick, or hurts its fin? I don't know anything about being a parent to a mer baby!" Gabe could hear the edge of panic creeping back into his voice and forced himself to take a deep breath to try and force it back down.

"You are right; we have much to focus on. Don't worry about it right now, my own." Paxton kissed him lightly, eyes happy when he pulled back. "But if it makes you feel any better, yes, mer children are born with a tail, but they develop their walking legs within the first two weeks of life. But never mind, there will be plenty of time for discussion about children in the years to come. For the record though, there are plenty here who could give you pointers on how to raise a young mer. And I think you'll make a wonderful father."

Gabe blushed under the other man's frank appraisal.

"You will both be amazing fathers," Dalia said. She sighed longingly, smiling wistfully. "I've always wanted children, but I wouldn't want to raise them without my chosen mate. I can picture a baby with bright red hair like its mother… A beautiful little girl or boy, just like my Mary."