Rite Men for Maya (6 page)

With a weary sigh, she pushed to her feet. Her leg muscles protested being used. She took one step and winced. Shifting to her tail as quickly as she had the day before had pulled several muscles. It was Sunday, but she’d already called into work and told them she wouldn’t be in for the next week.

Her family doctor -- a half-breed as well -- had scolded Maya for being so reckless and reminded her that forcing a swift tail shift might permanently damage the muscles of her lower body. Maya was lucky it was only sore muscles and nothing more serious. Her prescription was short walks and water rest.

Maya limped to the pool room, climbed the small ladder, and let herself fall into the water. The heat soothed her aching muscles almost immediately. She stripped off her panties and flung them over her shoulder, out of the pool, not caring where they landed.

Next came her legs. She took a deep breath. As she exhaled, she let the shift happen at its own pace. She ignored the accompanying pain in favor of letting the process finish. Once complete, she pumped her tail a few times.

Wearing her tail was less painful than her legs, but there was still pain. A few days in the pool with short breaks to walk around, and she would be fine. Her body would be fine. The rest… there was no way to know.

Her plan for that moment was to get some sleep and worry about it later.

* * *

Maya skimmed the shoreline, just out of sight of the beach patrons. No one paid attention to the water near the rock divide, anyway. It was too dangerous. There were signs posted everywhere about riptides and swimmer caution against crabs and falling rocks.

She broke the surface, did a little flip and then dove back into the water.

“Beautifully done.”

Clapping accompanied that compliment. She turned to see who had spoken. Tam and Kessen swam toward her.

She looked at them in surprise. “This is my dream. Why are you two here?”

“Then you know you’re dreaming?” Kessen asked.

“Of course. I only swim along the shore in my dreams. I wouldn’t dare try it otherwise.”

The men stopped near her. She clutched one of the jagged rocks, ready to deliver the obligatory shock of pain to wake herself, if need be.

“You have a beautiful tail. You should have worn it to the virility-fertility rite. Any number of mermen would have clamored for your attention.” Tam reached out to stroke her tail.

She dodged away. “Don’t touch me.”

“That’s not what you said last time.”

“That was a heat of the moment situation that won’t happen again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll end this dream.”

Kessen snatched her hand away from the rocks. “Wait. We wish to talk. You left so abruptly before, and you seemed so upset. Did we anger you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” She yanked on her hand but he didn’t let her go. “Release me.”

“Why are you ashamed of your merman blood?” Tam asked.

“I’m not.” She yanked on her hand again with the same result as before. “Why do you care if I wear my tail or my legs? Or are you saying I’m not pretty unless I’m wearing my tail?”

“You are beautiful and distracting in either form.” Kessen pulled her closer to him.

She turned her face away rather than look into his eyes. “Whatever. Glad we had this talk. Now let me go.”

Kessen released her. “Why do you disdain us?”

“Why are you hounding me?”

“What do you mean why?” Tam asked, as though that were the stupidest question she could have asked.

She said, “Exactly what I said. Why? I’m sorry if I ruined the rite. I didn’t mean to.”

“You didn’t ruin anything,” Kessen said.

“Good. Life is happy. Nice chatting with you. Goodbye.”

Again she tried to wake herself, and again she was stopped. Tam enveloped her in a tight hug. “Now, now. We came all this way and you’re leaving so soon?”

Kessen laid his hand on Tam’s shoulder. “Tam, don’t tease her. She’s confused.”

“I know that,” Tam snapped.

Maya struggled against Tam’s hold but it was a losing battle. She stopped fighting with an exasperated sigh. “I’m not confused about anything. You two had your fun. Yet again, I’ve made my parents angry. I’d just like to forget the whole thing.”

“Again?” both men asked in unison.

She bit out, “None of your business.”

Kessen pulled Tam’s arms apart and pushed the man away so Maya was free. “If we’ve made relations between you and your parents bad, then we’d like the chance to fix it. Simply tell us what was done.”

She debated keeping her mouth shut. Except the men had maneuvered her away from the rocks. She’d lost her means of getting out of the dream. And, dream time moved differently from real time. A few days could pass within the dream, but it would only be a few minutes in the real world. That meant she couldn’t wait them out.

Crossing her arms, she said, “My parents were in the crowd at the rite.”

“Ah, they didn’t like us teasing you,” Tam said. “It’s always fun to tease until the one under assault is a loved one.”

“I don’t know if…” She shook her head. “I haven’t spoken to them. My doctor has me on water rest, so I’m stuck at my house.”

“Water rest?” Kessen asked, concern etching his features. He started to touch her but pulled back before making the contact.

Some part of Maya had wanted to feel his touch. She might have even let him hold her since she wanted to be comforted. She couldn’t welcome comfort from Kessen but deny Tam.

“One of the rooms of my house has a… oh, why don’t I just show you?” She closed her eyes and concentrated.

The scenery shimmered, and suddenly all three floated in the pool in her house. “This is my house. I live down the beach from my parents. This is the pool room.” She waved her hand around her. “It’s my second bedroom. One room has a bed and this, obviously, has an aboveground pool. I’m sleeping here now.”

“A fish tank,” Tam said with disdain.

“It’s not a fish tank. It’s a way for me to wear my tail while I’m sleeping.”

“You could sleep in the ocean and achieve the same effect.”

“No one asked you to comment on my life. If you don’t like it, get out.” She pointed to the door.

Kessen enveloped her hand in his and kissed her fingers. “You said your doctor has you on water rest. Does that mean you hurt yourself?”

She let him hold her hand, but it wasn’t comfort that she felt. Her body hummed to life, and she became very aware that Kessen and Tam flanked her. Why did they still affect her? The rite was over. “I shifted too quickly and pulled some muscles. Sleeping in my tail will help speed along the healing process.”

Kessen asked, “But you’ll be all right?”

“Yes. No major damage from my moment of stupidity. At least, none to my body. I’ll have to contact my parents eventually.” She deflated, slouching against the edge of the pool. “My human life is near perfect. Why does everything go wrong when I try to have a merman life, as well?”

Kessen stroked his thumb over her knuckles and gave her a soft smile when she looked at him. She couldn’t hold his gaze without imagining him moving his thumb and other fingers over different parts of her body.

The water started feeling warmer than it had a moment before. She looked down quickly. Their tails shimmered beneath the water -- one rainbow, one dark blue, and hers of turquoise. “I guess it’s not as bad as the first time. You two aren’t mad that I’m half human like my ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh yeah? Tell us about that idiot,” Tam said.

“He’s not an idiot.”

“Why are you defending him?”

“I’m not. I meant to say he’s an asshole, not an idiot.” She sighed, becoming exasperated just thinking about it. “He tricked me. He passed himself off as human when we first met. He’d gotten a transition amulet from somewhere so he could visit the land, presumably to find a human girlfriend. That’s my guess since he got pissed when he found out I was a half. Laev, that’s his name, got over it and I thought that was it.”

Kessen said, “It had only begun. I heard about Laev’s trial. I didn’t realize you were the accused.”

Tam looked between them. “What trial?”

Maya said, “He talked me into wearing the amulet. He said I should feel it and tell him how it differed from my normal tail. I was an idiot for going along with him in the first place. I only had it on for a minute when his father and several of his friends appeared out of nowhere and dragged me before the magistrate. I was accused of illegally having the transition amulet and as passing myself for a full blood.” She shook her head. “It was a huge mess. My father was called before the court and made to pay reparations. He was so upset with me. My father, I mean.”

Tam put a finger under her chin and turned her so she looked at him. “I can guarantee you that I don’t care that you’re half human. I’m part myself.”

“You are?”

He nodded. “My maternal great-grandmother.”

Kessen said, “I don’t care, either. My father may, but his opinion means little to me.”

Maya turned away from Tam so she could look at Kessen. “Your father?”

“He’s old-fashioned and stubborn.”

Tam lifted away from the edge of the pool so he could see around Maya, confronting Kessen. His look was serious and a bit angry. “Kessen, tell me your father’s problem with me isn’t my human blood.”

Kessen looked down.

“That’s what it is? This whole time?”

Kessen nodded.

Tam cursed. “Well, to Hades with him, then. I was good enough to be named a chosen twice. If the gods’ blessing isn’t enough to make him happy then nothing will be.” He settled against the pool’s edge once more, bumping Maya’s side. After a moment of silence, he said, “This pool isn’t half bad. The water feels good.”

“It’s a heated saline mixture with medicinal herbs. It makes my tail and hair shiny and kills off most of the parasites I pick up swimming around in the ocean.” Maya skimmed her hand over the water’s surface.

Tam made an appreciative noise. “Makes me want to visit the real thing.”

“Not going to happen.”

“What’s the harm? We’re here now.”

“This is a dream.”

“Ah. In that case…” Tam turned her and pressed his lips to hers.

She didn’t fight him. Like she’d said, it was just a dream. Despite her parents’ upset and her embarrassment, she wanted to feel Tam and Kessen inside of her once more. In a dream setting, she could write the encounter off as a fantasy.

Kessen’s fingers brushed her anal slit. He whispered, “Do you intend to join with us again?”

“Oh, yes,” Maya said, pulling away from Tam’s kiss.

“Are you sure?” Tam asked. He pressed his fingers past her genital slit and buried them deep inside of her.

“Please.”

“Is that a yes?” He beckoned.

Maya writhed between the two men. She tried to answer, but Kessen’s fingers entered her rear. All that left her lips was a satisfied squeak.

Kessen said, “We won’t let you leave us this time if you say yes.”

Why did his threat sound so promising to her ears? She reached behind herself and quested for his genital slit with her fingers. No sooner did she find it than his full, hot erection burst into her hand. The cream of his self-lubrication made her hand slick.

She massaged him, pulling him closer until his front was flush with her back.

“Say it,” Tam rasped.

“Yes. Yes. Please.”

Kessen kissed her shoulder. “It’s not in my nature to make a lady beg.” He removed his fingers, clasped his hand with hers, and buried his thick shaft deep inside of her rear.

Maya bucked back against him with a satisfied sound. Was it the dream that made the sensation so acute and pleasurable? She didn’t care.

Tam continued fingering her front as he played his tongue over both of her nipples.

She cupped his head. “Tam, I want you inside of me.”

Was that her? Did she just say that?

“Such sweet words from such succulent lips.” Tam kissed her. “Alas, my fingers are all you deserve.”

“Why are you teasing me?”

“That is the way of dreams, to tease and torment. Reality is for fulfillment.” His fingers retreated and he spread her wide so his tongue could take their place. He traced little shapes, then flicked at her clit.

It was ecstasy, but she wanted him inside of her along with Kessen. She tried again. “Tam, please.”

He straightened and stared into her eyes.

Like she’d done with Kessen, she freed Tam’s cock and pumped her hand up and down its length, hoping to entice Tam. He moved his hips in rhythm with her hand but his lopsided grin said that little bit of play wouldn’t do anything for him.

“Stop, Tam. Now is not the time to tease,” Kessen said in a rough voice. He clutched Maya’s hips and slammed home as his release swept over him. He grunted, then relaxed, kissing her neck and shoulders.

“You’re right,” Tam said. He positioned himself at Maya’s pussy.

* * *

A ringing noise jerked Maya out of her dream. It startled her so badly that she jerked her tail, which sent a wave of water cascading over the edge of the pool.

It took her a moment to realize the sound was her phone. She picked up the receiver. “Hello,” she croaked.

“Oh, Maya, did I wake you?”

“Margaret?”

“Yes. I woke you up, didn’t I? I’m sorry, sweetie. I was just checking on you. I’d heard you’d be out for the week because of an accident during your vacation. What happened? Are you all right?”

Maya struggled to regain full consciousness. She didn’t normally have this much trouble waking up, but then she didn’t normally have fully interactive sex dreams. “I’m fine. Just a few pulled muscles. Nothing a little bed rest won’t cure.”

“Should I stop by?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“Okay, then. I’ll call you again tomorrow, sweetie. Get some rest. You sound horrible.”

Maya hung up the phone and sank back into the water. A thought made her resurface and turn the ringer off. She loved Margaret -- the woman was her closest human friend -- but the lady was a busybody with the worst timing. And Margaret didn’t know about Maya’s heritage.