Rite Men for Maya (7 page)

Allowing Margaret to drop by would mean Maya would have to trade her tail for her legs, lock her second bedroom door, and play full human until Margaret got bored and left. And that could be hours.

Maya looked at the clock. Speaking of hours… she’d been in dreamland with Tam and Kessen for almost six. Being jarred from a shared dream so abruptly would be disorienting to all parties. She doubted they’d be able to meet again that night even if she did get back to sleep.

A rueful smile curved her lips. “Serves Tam right, anyway. That’s what he gets for trying to be cute.”

Chapter Five

“I can’t get used to this.” Tam lifted one foot and then the other.

Maya leaned against the edge of the pool with her arms folded, smirking. “Never tried legs before?”

“Never a need,” Kessen said, pacing a few steps away from the pool.

Both men were steadier than they would be if they were wearing legs for the first time in the real world. That was the fun of dreams. The laws of gravity didn’t apply. Kessen and Tam looked as though they had been using legs as long as Maya.

She asked, “Not even in your dreams?”

Kessen shook his head. “No inclination.”

“As a kid,” Tam said, “but that was long ago. I only did it then because of my grandmother. We shared dreams of walking along the beaches like she used to do with her mother in real time.”

“Sounds nice.” Maya climbed out of the pool, trading her tail for legs in a matter of seconds rather than waiting for the muscles and bones to reform. Another perk of being in a dream world. “Would you care to take a stroll now?”

Tam moved to her and circled his arms around her waist. “I would rather see your other bedroom. We’ve visited your dreams for an entire week and have only seen this room.”

“Only because I figured you wouldn’t care to see it. Either of you.” She glanced at Kessen.

“I admit to curiosity.” Kessen reached out and trailed his fingers up her spine. “I’d like to feel how humans have sex and not become entangled with one another.”

Maya gave him a coy smile. “Getting tangled up is the fun part.”

Tam squeezed her waist. “By all means. Let’s make a knot of ourselves.”

“This way.” Maya took Tam and Kessen’s hands and led them out of the pool room.

She could have just changed the scenery with a thought, but decided to be a little mundane and walk there. Besides, the men were wearing legs for the first time. She wanted to give them a little workout.

They reached her room, and she willed the door to open. The bed contained within was much bigger than her actual bed. She didn’t mention that fact.

“Very nice,” Tam said. “It’s like one of the stages at the rite.”

“Minus a very annoying and distracting backdrop,” Kessen grumbled.

Maya nodded. “That backdrop was a little overdone.”

“Blame Tam. His friends did it.”

Tam reached around Maya and stroked Kessen’s cheek. “I thought you forgave me for that, lover.”

“Forgiven. Not forgotten.”

“Ah, but we had so much fun that day. You didn’t seem to mind the backdrop once I started touching you.” Tam moved his hand down Kessen’s chest, over his stomach, and then curled his fingers around Kessen’s cock. “I’m sure I can make you forget again.”

Maya watched in avid fascination as Tam stroked Kessen over and over. Each stroke drew Kessen ever closer to Tam until the only thing keeping them apart was Maya. She didn’t mind being sandwiched between them. She even added her hand to Tam’s, rolling Kessen’s sack around in her hand.

“This is unfair,” Kessen gritted out.

Tam chuckled. “No. This --” He reached behind Kessen and pushed his fingers deep into the man’s asshole -- “is unfair.”

Kessen could only make a small sound of appreciation before Maya pulled him down to her waiting lips.

Tam made a thinking noise. “Ah.”

Maya broke her kiss with Kessen and looked back at him. “Ah?”

Tam kissed her shoulder. “Put your leg on Kessen’s hip.” He released Kessen’s cock as she obeyed him.

“Like this?” She moved, and Tam sandwiched her further, pressing her against Kessen.

Tam smoothed his hand down her rear, between her legs, and started stroking Kessen’s cock again. This time, Tam pressed the hard member against Maya’s center with each stroke.

Kessen moved his hips, rubbing his cock against her pussy again. That made Maya pant. Now she was the one being teased, not that she minded.

“I think I like having legs,” Tam said. “A tail would never allow us such a position.”

“There are many others.” Maya reached back and captured Tam’s need.

“No more teasing.” Kessen pulled away, dragging Maya with him. He took her to the bed and pushed her against it.

Maya laughed at his urgency. She scooted toward the headboard as Kessen crawled forward. He kept his head low and his gaze glued between her legs. She drew her fingers over her wet flesh. His hungry gaze followed.

She opened her legs, and then spread her lower lips.

All it took was a crooked finger for Kessen to bridge the distance between them face first. He delved his tongue deep inside of her and made a sound of satisfaction that echoed her own.

Maya threw her head back, circling her hips against Kessen’s mouth. He jerked and then moaned. She looked behind him and saw Tam had buried himself deep within Kessen’s rear. As much as Maya wanted to watch Tam and Kessen together, the feel of Kessen’s mouth on her was her only focus.

He swirled his warm, wet tongue deep inside of her, only to pull out and tickle the tip over her clit. It was enough to have her calling his name as she folded her legs around his shoulders to keep him close.

“Night on Bald Mountain” started playing in the background.

“That doesn’t sound like mood music.” Tam stilled his motions.

Kessen lifted his head from between Maya’s legs. He cocked his head to the side. “You’re right. It doesn’t.”

Maya fell out of her euphoric state in a matter of seconds. She groaned as a sense of dread fell over her like the proverbial wet blanket. “It’s my phone.”

“I thought you turned your ringer off this time.”

“I did, but that…” Maya pushed at Kessen’s chest as she sat up. He backed away from her so she could roll off of the side of the bed.

Tam freed himself from Kessen’s rear. He pulled Maya into his arms, before she could get too far away, and smoothed his hand over her back. “What’s wrong?”

“That’s my mother’s tone. Her ring overrides silent mode.” She clutched at Tam, not wanting to acknowledge the call and end the dream.

Kessen kissed her shoulder. “You must answer. You’ve hidden this entire week. Continuing along this path will solve nothing.”

She nodded.

Tam eased her back and laid a kiss on each of her eyelids. He gave her a small smile, then faded from view.

Kessen’s kiss was just as innocent. He brought her hand to his lips, then released her and faded, as well.

Maya closed her eyes and listened to the music.

* * *

Maya flung her hand over the edge of the pool and groped for the phone. It stopped ringing right as she got her hand on it. A few seconds later it started ringing again. Maya flipped open the phone and hit speaker. “Good morning, Mommy.”

“Says you. Get your ass down here and talk to your father.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you ‘huh’ me. I talked to the doctor. She said you’re healed. Now get over here.”

The phone clicked. Maya closed her cell and draped herself over the edge of the pool. It took a little coaxing, but she pulled herself out of the pool. Changing to her legs wasn’t as painful as it had been a few days ago. Wearing her tail and using her pool had done wonders.

She slipped on a sundress and made the trek to her parents’. She was still a yard from the house when her mother opened the door.

Crystal snapped, “What took you so long?”

“I’m sorry, Mommy.”

Crystal pointed out to sea. “Your father’s in the grotto weaving a net.”

Maya stared at her mother, surprised but not very. “For how long?”

“Since the rite. Get down there and do something about it.”

“Me?”

“March! Swim! Whatever. Hurry up.” Crystal turned back to the house and slammed the door.

Well, her mother was angry, that was for sure. But her father was the priority.

Maya kicked off her shoes and ran into the waves. As soon as the water reached waist level, she let the shift happen and formed her tail. A few minor twinges of pain accompanied the shift since she had shifted only a few minutes earlier. It wasn’t too much of a strain. She planned to soak in the pool again later, after she dealt with her father.

The grotto was about a mile off shore. Swimming there was the type of exercise she needed to fully recover. She reached it quickly but slowed her pace as she entered and looked around. Tears pricked her eyes when she saw her father and the massive net floating around him. “Daddy?”

He didn’t stop his motions or acknowledge that he’d heard her.

“Daddy, please, say something.”

“Something,” he grumbled.

On a normal day, that joke would have made her laugh. Not today.

“Daddy, I know you’re mad. You only weave nets when you’re angry. Since you won’t even look at me, I know you’re mad at me.”

Nets were a symbol of humanity’s oppression over the sea and human stupidity all wrapped into one. Her father hated nets except when he was angry with his wife or children. At those times, he’d sit for hours weaving an ever-growing net. He wouldn’t stop until the anger dissipated or the offending party had soothed the upset.

If a week had passed and her father hadn’t stopped weaving in all that time, then he was well and truly irritated. Maya couldn’t remember a time when he’d stayed in the grotto that long, not even after the fiasco with Laev. She was surprised her mother had waited so long to call. But Crystal had probably wanted Maya to be healed first.

Meren said, “You condescend to wear your tail. Is that your way of placating me?”

Maya looked down at herself, then back at her father. “I’m your daughter. Why shouldn’t I wear my tail?”

Meren stopped and looked at her. “You say you’re my daughter, and yet you disgrace me in this way. I didn’t raise you in the ocean because your mother didn’t wish it, and now I see the folly of that.”

She reached for him but he pulled away from her. That rejection brought forth her tears. They mingled with the water, but the sting of them was evidence that she was crying. “Daddy, please. I didn’t mean to… to… I don’t know why I did…
that
with them. I didn’t mean to make you angry again. I wouldn’t have… you know I’m not…” She shook her head, too embarrassed by the topic to apologize properly.

It was stupid of her to see her father in the first place. Her mother had called, but it would have been best to leave Meren to weave his net. He would have gotten over the upset in another day or two. Coming home to confront him over the situation had probably made him angrier, and he’d remain in the grotto weaving even longer because of her.

She turned away.

Meren grabbed her wrist and pulled her back so she faced him. She refused to meet his gaze.

“You think I’m angry with you because you had sex with Tam and Kessen at the rite?”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He lifted her chin so she looked at him. “Maya, what you did at the rite was what the rite was meant for. The virility-fertility rite is a way for those of our people to find the perfect mate.”

“I know that.”

“But what you don’t know, what you can’t know until you experience it, is the pull your perfect mate will have on you. The first meeting is oftentimes like that which you experienced. It may have shamed you to go through it with such a large audience present, but it is normal. Everyone was happy for you. I and your mother were happy for you as well.”

She frowned at him, not understanding what he was saying. “You didn’t look happy. You or Mommy. You both looked mad… disappointed.”

“Of course. We’re your parents. We no more want to watch you having sex than you want to watch us. That, at least, is a similar dislike between mermen and human culture. I’m happy for you to have found mates --
merman
mates -- but I would have liked not to have witnessed the consummation of your relationship. I also wasn’t too pleased with the knowledge that you would be part of a triad.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean to embarrass you or myself. I don’t know what came over me. You know I would never… I’m not an exhibitionist. And with two men…” She wanted to hide her face along with her shame.

Meren hugged her close. “It truly was a folly to raise you amongst humans. You’ve adopted their way of thinking. Sex is to be celebrated. It brings joy and new life. Only humans see it as something to be ashamed of.”

“I’m not pregnant,” she said quickly, in case that was why her father had been angry.

“More’s the pity. Your human way of thinking would have sought out the fathers rather than running from them.”

She pulled out of his hold. “Daddy, I don’t know why you’re down here weaving a net if you’re not mad at me.”

Meren looked at the net and then back at her. “I am…
was
angry, Maya, but I see it’s as much my fault as it is yours.”

“What?”

“I wanted you to have a merman husband. Singular. I don’t like you being part of a triad. My anger in that moment was for the gods and placing you in that situation.”

“Oh. I thought you were angry at me.”

“I was, but afterwards. You abandoned your duty to your husbands -- divorced them only seconds after accepting them.”

“Husbands? What husbands?”

He cupped her cheek with a sad look. “This ignorance is the reason I have released my anger so we can talk.” He smiled. “You were married, my daughter.”

“To who?” she yelled.

“Tam and Kessen. When you accepted their offer at the rite to join them, when you allowed them entry to your body, you accepted their proposal to be as one with them, to be married.”