Page 94 of Kingdom of Aramis

I blink, speechless at her suggestion. Nine-way orgy? In hydra form? What the fuck?

She chuckles, slapping a dainty hand against her thigh in amusement. “Colbie, you should see your face. You have a dirty mind. God, it’s priceless.” I see her struggle to get her shit together as I glare at her.

“That’s not fucking helpful, you know. You’re the one who did this to me and didn’t include a manual.”

She collects herself. “Yes, you’re right, sorry. Shifters usually give their partner a mating bite during sex, but it isn’t required. A lot of shifters don’t mate the same species, so all you need to do is a partial shift of your jaw then bite them. Sex makes the experience better, more intimate, but as long as they do the same, then your bond will be sealed. If you bite them in hydra form, your regenerative properties will transfer to them, givingthem all the protection they could need, but any form will do to seal the bond.”

I mull over what she’s told me and tuck it away for now. We’re not even close to being in the sex portion of our relationship yet, though I can’t deny my body doesn’t long to get up close and personal with those men, even Micah who I literally just met. The ache is real, but my mind is still fully in the human way of thinking, and I’ve never been a one-night stand kind of girl.

“Anything else you’d like to drop in my lap?” I ask dryly, and she shrugs.

“Probably, but where would the fun be in that? You’re about to have a visitor, so I will see myself out. Remember, I’m always watching, and if you need me, just call.” She disappears in a flash of light, leaving behind the couch she was sitting on. Oh well, I guess the cave could use a little sprucing up. Fuck, I hope she’s not always watching. That would be creepy.

Chapter

Fourteen

Colbie

Asplash behind me has me spinning in a circle, and I gasp in shock when I find Micah staring at me, his eyes wide with wonder. “Holy shit, Liam was right. We have a mer as the shifter queen. People are going to lose their shit.”

I hold up a finger. “One, we never admit Liam was right. That would be unbearable for all of us. Two, I’m not just a mer shifter. I think my main form is the one I first shifted into. Three, I would like to avoid people losing their shit if possible. Apparently, I have a challenge day to get through, and I have no doubt if everything I have been told is correct, then being a mer will get me challenged up the wazoo.”

His smile drops, and he frowns. “Yes, you would be at a disadvantage. Challenge day takes place on land, so you wouldn’t be able to shift. You would have to fight in human form, whereas any challenger could shift. I assume you don’t have a lot of fighting experience.”

I shake my head as we bob in the water. “None. Hell, I don’t even exercise. The most I do is walk to work in the morning.”

“I would offer to be your champion, but that would only prove you need someone to protect you.”

I see the worry in his eyes, so I decide to put him out of his misery. “Don’t worry about me. I’m lucky enough to have more than one form, remember?”

“Yeah, but you don’t have enough time to master any of them, which is a disadvantage.”

“Micah, once shifters see what my original form is, no one will challenge me for anything,” I assure him.

“What are you?” he asks again, and this time I decide to answer instead of leaving him hanging.

“I’m a hydra.” His reaction is so comical, I can’t help but burst into laughter when his eyes widen and his mouth drops open.

“A hydra? Fuck,” he mutters, running all the possibilities through his mind. “No one will challenge you once they know that.”

I nod. “Yes, that’s what we’re all counting on, and if they do, well, apparently the hydra has a few tricks up its sleeve—poisonous claws and acid spit or breath to start with, not to mention the ability to regenerate. I’m basically indestructible. I just need to learn how to stay on my feet, which hasn’t been very successful.” I feel my cheeks heat with a blush, and he chuckles.

“That’s okay. I’m sure you will get the hang of it quickly. You did with this form.” He waves a hand at me. “You scared the crap out of the others when you disappeared.”

I scowl. “Maybe Liam shouldn’t have tossed me into the pond. That was a dick move.”

“Definitely a dick move,” he agrees, “but effective. Let’s relieve their panic though. They were freaking out, thinking they killed their mate, and the others were about to send Liam to his own watery grave.”

To be honest, I kind of feel the same way about Liam right now, despite our rather hot interaction outside of my bedroom, but as a polar bear, he probably wouldn’t drown. I guess he’s as comfortable in the water as he is on land.

He offers me his hand, looking hopeful, and as I place mine in his, I feel a pulse of happiness. He looks around the cave, and his eyes twinkle. “I wouldn’t mind coming back here when we have more time. I’d like to show you all the pleasures of having a mer form.” He winks, and my eyes widen with curiosity.

“What do you mean?” The water flows around us, and he glides toward me, wrapping one of his hands around my waist before pulling me against his muscular torso. Our tails brush below the surface, and I moan as a rush of sensation courses through my limbs.

“Holy crap,” I murmur as he brushes our tails together again with deliberate, powerful strokes.

“Unlike animal shifters, who don’t often fuck in their animal form because they’re mates are not always the same creature, mers can and do. I can show you the pleasures of what being a mer mate is about. Our scales are designed to send signals to the brain, warning us of dangers in the ocean, but they can also amplify pleasurable sensations as well. I can bring you to orgasm just by brushing my tail against yours.”