Leando nodded at Gabe respectfully.
Gabe was surprised that the two mer were related, but now that he looked closely, Gabe thought he could see a bit of the same features between the two cousins. Leando's face wasn't nearly as refined as Paxton's, but he was still handsome.
Not as hot as Pax, but a close second . Gabe turned his attention back to the imposing mer in the doorway.
Suddenly it dawned on him what the mer had said.
"You want to bond with Aaron?" Gabe asked, frowning slightly. "Why?"
"Is that not what you wanted? Someone with the potential to love and care for the human? I admit, I do not know the reason he is here or what is going on; I received word from my King to meet him in the Medical wing. But regardless of the reasons, I already share a connection with this man, one not many would understand." Leando finally stepped fully into the room and crossed over to where Aaron lay in his protective bubble. His eyes filled with sadness for only a spit second as he stared down at the unconscious man, before his stony expression slid back into place.
"I still don't understand," Gabe said, glancing over at his mate. "How can you two be connected?"
"Are you sure, Leando?" Paxton asked, glancing worriedly between his cousin and the unconscious human.
Leando smiled grimly. "I heard a bit of what you had said, young Gabriel, before I came in. I always was good at sneaking around and going unnoticed until I wanted to be. If what you are saying is true, then my chosen mate is dead."
Gabe's eyes widened. "W-who was your chosen mate?"
Leando sighed, stealing one last glance at Aaron before turning to face the others in the room. His eyes were cold and filled with rage as he spoke.
"My chosen mate's name was Douglas… and the reason he didn't come to the sea right after we bonded was we were working on a way to make his other human lover from the island our third mate. It was something we both wanted but had decided to wait until we had a definite plan in place before approaching Douglas's lover with the proposition. That man's name was Aaron." Leando waved his hand toward the bubble. "This Aaron. That is why Douglas was still on the island, instead of being safe in the sea with me. I don't know how he was killed—or even why, but I know his death was partially my fault."
Leando hung his head as if in shame. It was a humbling and sad sight to see such a powerful mer so heartbroken. Gabe wanted to tell the mer it wasn't his fault, that there was no one to blame but Father Willis and his lackeys, but he figured the strong Captain wouldn't believe him.
"Aaron is mine; he was going to belong with me and Douglas, but now there is only me. If I can't have both of my mates, I will settle for only getting to bond with one of them."
Chapter 12
Gabe stumbled into the bedroom, barely able to keep his eyes open.
God, what a long day … Twenty-four hours in the wild world of the Merfolk and all Gabe wanted to do was take a nap.
"Come, my own. Let us bathe then I promise you can sleep," Paxton coaxed gently, placing an arm around Gabe's slumped shoulders and leading him toward a door on the far side of the room. Gabe allowed himself to be moved and tried not to grumble.
"Do you think Mary and Aaron will be okay?" he asked.
Gabe hadn't been happy about being forced to leave the medical wing before he was sure both of his friends were okay, but Paxton had insisted. He wasn't sure he completely trusted that Leando fellow, Pax's cousin or not. He'd made Paxton promise the two would be able to check in on his friends first thing in the morning. Paxton tried to refuse, claiming the two mated pairs needed privacy to bond, but Gabe had been insistent. Finally, Pax agreed and Gabe had been forced to follow his mate to a meeting with the King's advisors.
And boy, what a bunch of windbags those guys were!
The group had argued for hours about what to do with the Father Willis problem. Some wanted to declare war on the
Gabe was surprised that the two mer were related, but now that he looked closely, Gabe thought he could see a bit of the same features between the two cousins. Leando's face wasn't nearly as refined as Paxton's, but he was still handsome.
Not as hot as Pax, but a close second . Gabe turned his attention back to the imposing mer in the doorway.
Suddenly it dawned on him what the mer had said.
"You want to bond with Aaron?" Gabe asked, frowning slightly. "Why?"
"Is that not what you wanted? Someone with the potential to love and care for the human? I admit, I do not know the reason he is here or what is going on; I received word from my King to meet him in the Medical wing. But regardless of the reasons, I already share a connection with this man, one not many would understand." Leando finally stepped fully into the room and crossed over to where Aaron lay in his protective bubble. His eyes filled with sadness for only a spit second as he stared down at the unconscious man, before his stony expression slid back into place.
"I still don't understand," Gabe said, glancing over at his mate. "How can you two be connected?"
"Are you sure, Leando?" Paxton asked, glancing worriedly between his cousin and the unconscious human.
Leando smiled grimly. "I heard a bit of what you had said, young Gabriel, before I came in. I always was good at sneaking around and going unnoticed until I wanted to be. If what you are saying is true, then my chosen mate is dead."
Gabe's eyes widened. "W-who was your chosen mate?"
Leando sighed, stealing one last glance at Aaron before turning to face the others in the room. His eyes were cold and filled with rage as he spoke.
"My chosen mate's name was Douglas… and the reason he didn't come to the sea right after we bonded was we were working on a way to make his other human lover from the island our third mate. It was something we both wanted but had decided to wait until we had a definite plan in place before approaching Douglas's lover with the proposition. That man's name was Aaron." Leando waved his hand toward the bubble. "This Aaron. That is why Douglas was still on the island, instead of being safe in the sea with me. I don't know how he was killed—or even why, but I know his death was partially my fault."
Leando hung his head as if in shame. It was a humbling and sad sight to see such a powerful mer so heartbroken. Gabe wanted to tell the mer it wasn't his fault, that there was no one to blame but Father Willis and his lackeys, but he figured the strong Captain wouldn't believe him.
"Aaron is mine; he was going to belong with me and Douglas, but now there is only me. If I can't have both of my mates, I will settle for only getting to bond with one of them."
Chapter 12
Gabe stumbled into the bedroom, barely able to keep his eyes open.
God, what a long day … Twenty-four hours in the wild world of the Merfolk and all Gabe wanted to do was take a nap.
"Come, my own. Let us bathe then I promise you can sleep," Paxton coaxed gently, placing an arm around Gabe's slumped shoulders and leading him toward a door on the far side of the room. Gabe allowed himself to be moved and tried not to grumble.
"Do you think Mary and Aaron will be okay?" he asked.
Gabe hadn't been happy about being forced to leave the medical wing before he was sure both of his friends were okay, but Paxton had insisted. He wasn't sure he completely trusted that Leando fellow, Pax's cousin or not. He'd made Paxton promise the two would be able to check in on his friends first thing in the morning. Paxton tried to refuse, claiming the two mated pairs needed privacy to bond, but Gabe had been insistent. Finally, Pax agreed and Gabe had been forced to follow his mate to a meeting with the King's advisors.
And boy, what a bunch of windbags those guys were!
The group had argued for hours about what to do with the Father Willis problem. Some wanted to declare war on the
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