Tidal Wave (5 page)

Alexia opened the door and wandered into the empty house. Lost in the swell of emotion raging through her mind and the sexual tension racing through her body, she made her way blindly to the living room not even checking if anyone followed her. She occupied herself with trivial things. Lit the kindling in the fireplace, added wood until it blazed and a warm glow filled the room. Sat back and stared into the flames.

The day had gone from strange to stranger.

Gram didn’t need her help. Instead the conniving old sweetheart seemed to be trying to set up Alexia with one of Jaffrey Cove’s finest eye candy. And Gram was the leader of people who could turn at will into dolphins.

Alexia gave herself a shake. She needed a drink.

She startled as a hand pressed on her shoulder, momentarily forgetting anyone was there with her. Wordlessly, Anthony handed her a wine glass before he sat nearby on the floor and leaned back against the couch. Alexia stared into the ruby depths, the scent of the smoky liquid rising to her nose, mixing with the other scents in the room that teased and tickled.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Beside her a strange sense of emotion flowed from Anthony, desire and nervousness overlaying each other in equal amounts. He worried about how she was taking the revelation that legends existed, astonished to be in the same room as her, near enough to touch her. He wanted her. A pure, sweet emotion full of adoration and longing.

Alexia looked into his face and his eyes darted away from her direct gaze. How did she know what he felt? His emotions were as clear as if he had spoken. She remembered Anthony as the stalwart peacemaker during her summer visits. He was the one who’d calmed the storms that constantly erupted among the volatile Marley clan. He’d never given any indication that he’d been attracted to her, never flirted like some of his older kin. She brushed a hand over his arm and he shivered. His eyes closed and his body leaned closer to her like he couldn’t help himself.

A snarl rose behind her. Michael. His scent darker, richer. Powerful and compulsive, filling the room with strength. She felt how hard his body was, knew he wanted to bury himself in her softness and possess her. He slipped to the floor on her other side, his blue eyes watching her carefully.

“We need to explain the rest. Are you warm yet?” Michael’s gaze dropped over her body, sweeping up her torso to land on the medallion.

Was she warm? She was melting. Taking a deep breath, she not only smelt the men in the room, she felt their heat. Felt the pulse of their hearts loud enough to vibrate the walls of the room. Felt the sexual intent in their glances and the tightness in their bodies.

The arousal that had built through the day fought to surface, sensitizing her skin, knotting her stomach, pulsing in her core. She sipped at her wine, letting the rich flavor swirl on her tongue and burst in her mouth. This was insane. Here she sat in Gram’s living room, a man on either side oozing sex appeal, and she soaked it all in. She wanted to flirt, to broadcast back to them just a bit of what she was feeling. Flicking a glance at Anthony, she licked her lips. His nostrils flared in response, his gaze locked on her mouth. She smiled and took another sip, watched him as she swallowed, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Alexia couldn’t see him but sensed Joshua was in the room as well. He stood farther away, leaning on the glass doors separating the living room from the kitchen. His hard body called the loudest and she swung her head to look at him.

His emotions rang the clearest. He wanted her most of all. To touch her, hold her. Be claimed by her. His outward calm was a façade, his easy stance denied by how hard his body throbbed with need, how his jaw clenched when he glanced at his brother and cousin.

He wanted her alone. He was willing to offer her everything.

Alexia stopped and took a deep breath. However she was able to sense these things, they were real. Her fingers rubbed the medallion and a strange peace descended on her.

They were hers. All of them. She was due their homage. It was only right Michael and Anthony knelt on the floor, close enough she could touch them at will, whenever she desired.

She looked at Joshua again. Why was
he
not at her side as well? She wanted him there. Lowering her lashes, Alexia considered for a minute before she rose to her feet and strolled to him. His blond hair glowed in the reflected light of the fire. Golden flecks she didn’t remember shone in his green eyes. Alexia offered her wine glass, and he wrapped his fingers around hers, trapping them between his warmth and the cool crystal. He brought the glass to his lips and took the final drops into his mouth. This time she couldn’t stop staring at the moisture that clung to his firm mouth, and his beautiful smile that followed. She ran a fingertip over his bottom lip. His tongue flicked to wet it, the smell of the wine heady around them, joining with the salty scent she recognized as his.

Her womb clenched, wanting his intimate touch, and his eyes flashed, like he’d sensed the spike in her arousal.

“You need to let us tell you the rest of the story, Alexia,” Joshua whispered as he took the glass from her and placed it on a side table. Linking his fingers through hers he led her back to the couch in front of the fire. She tugged at him when he would have joined the others on the floor, instead drawing him onto the couch and curling up at his side. One hand slipped behind his back to nestle her body into his.

Heat flared between them, exquisite and exciting. Alexia couldn’t resist. She slid her other hand under his shirt and rubbed her palm against the bare skin of his firm abdomen.

“Hmmm, that’s good. You feel so good, Joshua.”

“Alexia. Stop touching him now. We have to explain things before you move too fast and make a mistake you’ll regret,” Michael barked at her, a tone of command in his voice, and she hesitated before turning to face him. His desires had shifted and something didn’t feel right.

“You’ve seen the dolphins change. You’re one of us, Alexia, like Joshua said. But you’re not a commoner.” Michael pointed to the medallion. “That represents your position in our pod. For years your grandmother has been our matriarch, our leader in much more than political matters. Giving you the medallion signifies her will for you to take over.”

“What do I know about leading mythical beings?”

Joshua’s fingers brushed her shoulder and she shivered, intense pleasure breaking over her. She wanted to turn around and throw herself on top of Joshua. Strip him bare, ride him, and she didn’t care who else was in the room. His caress was light but it was enough, and she stared into his eyes. Longing reflected back. Heat. She didn’t want to stop and have to think about what this meant.

She just wanted.

Alexia wrapped her hands further around his torso, palms tight to his skin, and Joshua made a quiet noise deep in his throat. A powerful shot of lust hit her, and her voice was husky when she managed to speak. “What does this have to do with my hormones being on overload?”

“Joshua, stop touching her!” Michael demanded, hands tightening to fists.

Alexia narrowed her eyes. The waves of anger rolling off him doused her libido like ice water.

“Please, everyone. Perhaps I should be the one to explain.” Anthony held out a hand to Alexia and led her away to the massive windows overlooking the sea. The sight relaxed her, gave her back her center. Anthony stood beside her with a soothing calmness. When she impulsively linked her fingers with his, he gasped.

“You’re the teacher. Teach me.” Alexia smiled in reassurance. “The SparksNotes version if possible.”

He nodded and thought for a minute. Alexia wondered if he realized his thumb was massaging her knuckles.

“As the Keeper, you have an innate sense of your people’s needs. You can use it to help them, whether it’s in their work or play or family life. You’ll know your duties instinctively, guiding the pod and keeping us strong. Keeping us safe.” He turned her face him, his deep green eyes dark in his tanned face. “Along with the abilities come needs of your own. You need to be supported and cared for. Until you select a consort, any time you have a need all the eligible males will respond. We’ll care for you as best we can—”

“Every time I get worried or upset, there’s going to be a throng of guys surrounding me?” Something was still missing, she knew it.

Anthony shook his head, his face flushed with embarrassment. “You know, I could write you a nice essay on this, explain it all in great detail…”

Alexia laughed and he smiled wryly before continuing. “You have the merfolk genes, but you don’t have the blood. Yet. You need additional chemicals to change to a dolphin form or to be able to survive underwater in your human body. If you’d grown up around Jaffrey’s Cove, in a family of merfolk, you’d already have them, just from environmental exposure. Most merfolk, boys and girls, build up enough of the chemicals by their early teens to shift.

“You gained a few during your summer holidays, but all the various components are required to produce the final compound. Your hormones are on overdrive because as the new matriarch, you want the chemicals immediately. We have them in a form you can easily absorb. That’s what’s causing your strong desire for the males of the pod.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You have this chemical?”

He nodded.

“And I get it from you, how?”

Anthony’s gaze flicked to the others as he flushed harder.

“Sex. You need to have sex with us.” Michael stalked forward, his hand reaching to pull her to his side forcefully. Anthony protested but Michael ignored him, slipping his hands around her head and forcing his mouth on hers. A shiver of disgust shook her body and she clawed at him, tried to detach herself from his clutches. He ignored her attempts to push him away, his hands scrambling at her dress, his stronger body overpowering hers. Loud voices rose in anger around her. Joshua yanked his brother off her and she was free, cradled against Anthony’s solid chest. Joshua slammed his fist hard into Michael’s jaw. He flew backward to land flat on the floor, limbs flailing. Alexia hid her face, Anthony’s arms closed around her as he attempted to lead her away from where Joshua stood menacingly over Michael.

She needed to stay. She needed to finish this. Alexia forced herself forward to Joshua’s side, dragging Anthony with her.

“You will not touch her again unless she asks. Do you understand me?” Joshua’s icy cold tones sent a shiver of pure lust shooting through her. “She selects.
She
decides. Not birth order, not some fancy piece of paper on the wall. The Keeper alone knows who she needs, and manhandling her is not going to make her transformation any easier.”

Michael attempted to stand and Joshua swept his feet from under him again. “Do you understand?” he demanded.

“I understand. Damn it, Joshua, let me up.”

“Yes, let him up.” Alexia stepped forward just in time to see Michael exchange his expression of avarice with one of deep concern. Alexia’s stomach churned. He might have tried to mask his outward appearance, but Michael’s emotions gave his intent away. He was far too delighted in the thought she was going to select him and rebuff Joshua. As Michael rose to his feet she took one more step forward.

She let it him have it with a right jab to the same spot Joshua had nailed him.

Michael staggered back, catching himself on the dining room chairs. Alexia followed, righteous indignation filling her stronger than her previous arousal. She didn’t know all the rules yet, but whatever was happening she knew one thing—Michael had crossed a line and she didn’t like it.

“Thank you for the evening, Michael. You were very gracious to extend an invitation to welcome me to the community. Let’s pretend that was your motivation all the time and leave it at that.” Alexia crossed her arms over her chest, watching as he wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes glinted coldly for a moment and she saw red.

He was defying her?

She shot her arm out in time to stop Joshua from racing past her to attack Michael again. “Stop.”

Joshua froze immediately, body clenched tight as he waited for her direction.

“You need me to be able to change,” Michael warned softly, his gaze flicking over his kin. “I doubt you can gain all the chemicals you need from either one of them. Neither is strong enough to help you make the first change. Don’t throw this away, Alexia. We’d be good together, leading the pod as a team.”

Behind her Anthony hissed. She glanced at him, surprised at his response.

“You lead the pod alone, Alexia. Not your partner. They support you. Michael offering to lead together… It’s not possible. It’s not right.” Anthony spat the words with disgust.

Joshua said nothing, standing beside her like a rock.

“Joshua, is it true? Do I need him?”

Joshua stared at Michael, his body remaining alert. “It will be harder but not impossible. He’s very strong. Still, the tradition of the pod demands he provide what you need, no strings attached. You can order him to assist in your first change, and he will or face banishment. To stay in the pod he must support and respect you as you are due.” Joshua hesitated and turned to the side so she couldn’t see his face. “If you select him you might not need us.”

The thought of sending Joshua away sent an ache to the pit of her stomach and she couldn’t stand it anymore. She turned her back on Michael and threw herself at Joshua, wrapping her arms around his neck to cling to him. Their mouths met and once again his taste exploded through her. He supported her tenderly and she wanted to shake him. She didn’t want tenderness right now.

She wanted to be possessed.

A loud crash behind them made Joshua spin her behind him protectively as they turned to face the sound. Michael was once more on the floor. This time it was Anthony who hovered over him, fists at the ready. Joshua would have moved to swing at Michael and continue the battle, but Alexia had had enough. In spite of the rollercoaster of emotions sweeping through her, she finally knew what she needed to do.

“Michael, you aren’t welcome here. We’ll have a civilized discussion about this sometime in the future, but I want you out of my house immediately.” Alexia laid a calming hand on Anthony’s shoulder, soothing his anger.