The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse (9 page)

But Byron was right there with him, as if they were swimming through a whirlpool together. Byron’s strength protected him, and Skylar couldn’t fear a thing.

When he came to, Byron lowered him down on the bed. “I didn’t think it would be like this,” Skylar said, still panting.

Byron pecked him briefly and retracted his penises out of Skylar’s ass. “It’s not, not usually.”

“But with you, it’s different. You’re special. My beautiful Skylar.”

Skylar’s eyes widened as he realized Byron hadn’t spoken the latter words outright. Byron seemed just as surprised, but then, a wide grin spread on his face. “
You can hear me, can’t you?”

“Yes, Byron. I can.”
Skylar hugged the shark tightly.
“I knew it. I
just knew it. My mate, at last.”

“Yes, sweetheart. Your mate.”

Byron caressed his hair, murmuring soft words in his ear. The exhaustion of the evening finally got to Skylar, and he fell asleep like that, safe in Byron’s arms.

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Skylar nodded at his long-time butler as he double-checked his last bag. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life, Saunders. This is it, the moment I’ve been waiting for.”

“But, Sir… He’s a shark, and… Well… Your parents won’t be happy.”

“They’ll get used to the thought.” Skylar shrugged, conveying a nonchalance he didn’t really feel. He knew his parents would have a problem with him mating a shark. It wasn’t that he actually needed their permission, but he loved them both dearly, and he loved Byron, too. More than anything, he hoped the most important people in his life would learn how to get along. “Oh, and Saunders, I haven’t mentioned it to them yet. I will call them tonight, but I don’t want them finding out about this until then.”

Saunders sighed but nodded. “Yes, Sir. I still think you should—”

Saunders’s words were interrupted as the door to Skylar’s bedroom opened. Skylar knew who it was even without looking. “Are you ready, sweetheart?” Byron asked.

Skylar turned away from his bag and smiled at his mate. “Yes.

Just some last minute checking.” Through their bond, he added,

“Impatient?”

Byron’s rumbling laughter echoed inside Skylar’s mind.
“You can
bet on it. I can’t wait to get you alone and in our bedroom.”

“Our bedroom. I like the sound of that.”

Byron gave him a heated look, and Skylar knew the shark would have probably jumped him right then and there had they been back at
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Byron’s place. As it was, in front of Skylar’s staff, he’d acted with a good measure of restraint. It was probably for the best since Skylar didn’t think he could have as much control as Byron did. If Byron kissed him, he was liable to kneel at the shark’s feet to suck those big cocks in his mouth.

He licked his lips just at the thought, remembering his last attempt earlier that morning. His jaw had ached at being so strained, but since seahorses didn’t have a gag reflex, he’d done a pretty good job if he did say so himself.

Byron took a step forward, his gaze shining with the predatory light that made Skylar shudder in anticipation. He’d obviously caught on to Skylar’s naughty thoughts.
“You’re asking for it, little
seahorse,”
the shark said through their connection.
“Don’t make me
throw you down and fuck you in front of your butler.”

That was probably not a good idea, since Saunders already seemed quite wary of Byron. Skylar zipped up his bag and grinned at Byron. “All right. Let’s go.”

Saunders leaned in to take the bag, but Byron was there before the butler. “Thank you, Saunders, but we’ve got it.”

Saunders couldn’t hide his grimace, and Skylar felt the urge to chastise the man
. “Don’t, sweetheart,”
Byron said through their bond.

“I’m truly not surprised.”

As they left the room, Skylar gave his mate a curious look.
“Why
do I have the impression you’re not telling me everything?”

Byron released an awkward laugh.
“Well, I might be previously
acquainted with your parents, and they don’t like me very much.”

Skylar gaped. It was the first time he’d heard of this. “What?” he said, so shocked he spoke out loud. Come to think of it, he did remember Byron making a comment about Skylar’s parents way back, when Garth had first contacted Byron to help them investigate the attack on Soren Wade’s pack lands. Skylar had never made the connection, though.

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Byron pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh.” Through their connection, the shark added, “
Look, I’m sorry I didn’t mention it
before, but it was a long time ago. I pushed their hand a bit to force
them to accept Garth in the agency.”

“How much is a bit?”
Skylar knew how dangerous Byron was and how scary he could get.

Byron actually looked uncomfortable, and Skylar groaned. His task to convince his parents had just gotten much, much harder.

“I’m sorry about this, sweetheart.”

Skylar sighed and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll find a way to deal with it. Come on. Let’s go home.”

His libido had received a blow because of his concern over his parents, but his decision still stood. The night before had been both amazing and an eye-opener. Beyond their sexual chemistry, Skylar felt a true connection with Byron, and he wouldn’t give it up for anything or anyone.

Many might have said he was rushing into things by moving in with Byron, but he didn’t want to be parted from the shark for more than he strictly needed to. There was simply no point. He’d seen how much hardship his friends had been forced to go through to be happy, and he refused to take any chances.

They left the house hand in hand, with teary-eyed staff waving at Skylar and giving Byron barely disguised ugly looks. Most had been around from before Skylar had been born, and those who were closest to Skylar’s parents must have known about Byron’s talk with them.

Skylar and Byron got into Byron’s big car, with the shark dumping the final bag on the back seat. Skylar buckled in and waited as Byron sat in the driver’s seat. He was greatly relieved when his lover started the car and drove off. He’d never actually thought he would feel that way when leaving his parents’ home, but right now, his place was at Byron’s side. It would take a while for the rest of the people in his life to accept Byron, so until then, Skylar would never feel comfortable with them.

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When they stopped at a traffic light, Byron reached for his hand and kissed it. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. In time, they’ll understand.”

Skylar nodded wordlessly. Even if he still felt apprehensive about the way his parents would react, he could deal with it as long as he had Byron by his side.

The mood was getting far too gloomy, so on impulse, he said,

“Let’s go swimming. We’ll rent a private beach or something. Come on, it will be fun.” It was Sunday, anyway, and even Byron and Skylar could take a day off.

Byron tensed visibly. “I can’t,” he murmured.

“Why not?” Skylar had already sensed something else Byron was hiding, something darker and more dangerous than Byron’s meeting with Skylar’s parents. “What is it, Byron?”

“It’s too dangerous. People will see.”

Skylar laughed, even if he felt anything else but amused. “Don’t be silly. We’ll just be another shark and a seahorse.”

The red light turned green, and the comforting warmth of Byron’s palm disappeared as the shark focused on driving.

For a few moments, Byron didn’t speak. His thoughts were a confusing whirlwind in Skylar’s head.
Should I tell him? No, I can’t.

He’ll be afraid. No, he won’t. He loves me, and he’ll find out anyway,
sooner or later. But will he still love me after he knows?

“Byron, enough!” Skylar shouted. “What are you hiding?”

Byron released a sigh. “I’m not a normal shark, sweetheart. Have you ever wondered why I’m so much bigger than other shape-shifters and have all those other abilities?”

“Well, yes.” Skylar was more and more confused. “I figured you’d tell me sooner or later.”

“Skylar, I’m a megalodon, a prehistoric shark. When I change, I’m about the size of a whale. Imagine a whale-sized shark in the middle of coastal LA and then tell me we can go to the beach.”

Skylar froze. He knew what a megalodon was from the occasional documentary he watched on television. Twenty million years back,
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the huge beast had ruled the oceans, feeding on whales and holding an undisputed reign over the waters it controlled. But Skylar had never thought such a shape-shifter could exist. By extrapolation, it would mean that somewhere in this big world, dinosaur-shifters might be living without anyone else knowing. The mere concept boggled the mind.

Right then and there, though, Skylar couldn’t think about that. The only thing that popped into his mind was just how alone Byron must have been, how heavy such a burden would be to carry. Byron couldn’t shift in the middle of civilization, because he would be spotted by humans. His own kind feared him, and while that might been useful for his job, for Byron as a person, it couldn’t have been easy.

“I’m not scared,” he said. “But one of these days, we have to go someplace where you can show me.”

Byron seemed to tremble with tension. He continued to look at the road in front of them as he said, “Don’t pity me, Skylar. I don’t want that.”

“I actually remember me saying something similar. Do you recall what you told me then? You said, what I feel for you is too intense to be called pity. We’re in this together, Byron, and I’m not scared.”

Byron stole a brief peek at him. “All right, sweetheart. I’ll show you, one of these days. But one fair warning. My tooth in that form is probably bigger than your whole body when you turn into a seahorse.”

Skylar blinked at the comparison. It probably should have shocked him. In fact, it might have been meant to scare him off.

Instead, it struck him as funny. Unable to contain himself, he burst into laughter.

Just like that, the tension drained out of Byron. Moments later, the shark joined in, his chuckles entwining with Skylar’s. Their laughter died, though, when their gazes briefly met. Heat grew between them, the lust that had died out a bit during the drive bursting out once more
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into an even hotter flame. And when they at last reached their home, Skylar found that he had forgotten about all else that wasn’t about getting the shark’s cocks inside him again.

* * * *

A week later

Skylar smiled at Annabelle Wade and hugged her.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Wade. I’m so happy to hear the news.”

The ewe’s pregnancy had been officially confirmed, and she’d come to check in for preliminary tests. Skylar’s trained eye had already caught several changes. She seemed mellower than the other times Skylar had seen her, and she had actually gained a little weight.

A tiny bump was already showing on her belly, something that represented a dilemma for Skylar. He wasn’t absolutely certain how long the pregnancy would last or what the child would even be.

“Thank you.” She laughed lightly. “It’s almost a relief, because I know I at least have a reason for eating like I do.”

“Remember you need to keep close tabs on the pregnancy,” he said as he broke the embrace. “You have to be extra careful due to the cross-breeding of the species.”

“I know.” Her expression sobered, and her eyes gained a far-off look. “Believe me, I know. When I was pregnant with Ray and then Carson, it didn’t feel like this at all.”

Skylar didn’t really know what to say at that. He knew Annabelle’s elder son, Ray, had been killed after attempting to murder Carson and Brody. He couldn’t grasp what she must be feeling, especially since a wolf had been the guilty party.

He took her hand and squeezed it in a wordless sign of comfort.

She beamed at him and wiped a stray tear from her cheek. “But that’s in the past, and we’re here talking about the future. I promise, I will be very careful.”

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Skylar opened his mouth, intending to offer his assistance for anything she might need. He never got the chance. The door burst open, and his mother and father stalked in.

His conversation with them hadn’t gone well at all. They’d been somewhere in Africa, so he hadn’t managed to get hold of them until the night before. He couldn’t say he was surprised to see them, given how angry they’d been when he’d told them of his new mating with Byron.

However, he didn’t expect the slap that hit him moments later.

“Skylar, how could you?” his mother shouted. “How could you mate that man?”

Skylar cupped his cheek, completely gobsmacked. His parents had never hurt him, not once in all his life. He looked at his mother and noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks and the fear shining in her eyes.

Ignoring the throbbing in his skin, he wrapped his arms around his mother. She squeezed him tightly, like she used to when he’d been a small boy. It was unusual for seahorse families to have only one child, but a disease his mother had contracted during her travels had kept her from producing fertile eggs. It had taken her quite some time for her to recover from that and to be able to return to her self-appointed duties. At the same time, she’d lavished all her affection on Skylar, and so had his father. And now, she feared losing him. Skylar knew it and he felt guilty for putting them in this situation in the first place.

However, he couldn’t be sorry about loving Byron. They were soul mates. He just needed to find a way to convince his parents of that.

“It’s going to be fine, Mom,” he said. “He’s not going to hurt me.”

Immediately, she tensed and broke away from him. Skylar’s father glowered at him. “How can you say that? What do you even know about him?”