In a Brave New World (Brave New World Book 5)

Chapter 10

Valamir

After our hunger for each other was sated, it was time for our hunger for food to be appeased.

The weather being still warm, we both preferred to have dinner outside on the small rocky landing of our home's outer wall. Here we had a view at the lake and the forest before us and at the night sky above us, while being perfectly safe since the landing was reachable only by water. There was an elf guard stationed at the kingdom's nearby border, but I knew all elves were polite enough to turn their backs to us when Aly was wearing nothing but her soft skin.

The only disadvantage was the hard and rough surface of the landing, but a cushion allowed my siren to sit beside me without hurting her delicate backside. The sitting space was limited, yet none of us minded the closeness.

Tearing a piece of my fish, I passed a hand over Aly's wet thigh to prompt her to tell me how her day had gone. Once upon a time, I had been concerned that my webbings might disgust her, but just like my tail that she was currently caressing, Aly found them special. Desirable. So I left my hand on her leg and bit into the fish as she spoke.

"It was a tiring day, Val. Lots of alien weapons to be tested and distributed, lots of gargoyle swords to be sharpened and distributed, many details about the plan to be specified... Once the gargoyle messenger arrived to say the draft plan of attack was a go, Beverly had some trouble contacting the other human camp. By the time we established contact and made sure they understood where exactly to position themselves ahead of the battle, the sun was already about to set."

She took a bite of her boiled chicken, from which I had absorbed the lake water upon our arrival on the landing. "I barely managed to convince the community to let me leave. They thought I was suicidal to go outside after dark. I had to lie by saying a gargoyle would pick me up."

I left the half-eaten fish on my lap and rested my head on the back of my hand to mimic sleeping, since I often found my siren napping in that position.

"Why didn't I remain there for the night?" She smiled and rested her head on my wet shoulder, causing my fins to flutter underwater in pleasure. "Because I can't sleep without you by my side, Val. Yeah, and also because I knew you'd immediately decide I had abandoned you, my sweet merman." She patted my tail. "Did you? When I was being late?"

I smiled tentatively, looking down at my dinner.

"I knew it!... Fuck, Val."

I shrugged. I couldn't help it: I worried.

This time she didn't go on cursing as usual when we had this argument. She resumed eating and said innocently, "Truth be told, I worry when you are alone without me to keep an eye on you."

I shot her a surprised look. She hasn't admitted to such a thing before!

"The she-elves guarding the forest, I've heard them talking when coming home in wolf form. With your pale skin in your land form, you don't look so different to them. And your beard turns them on."

I frowned. That wasn't good. I didn't want female attention other than Aly's. This was supposed to be a safe place for me. Did I have to worry when there weren't mermaids around as well?"

"One of them could give your children," Aly added hesitantly.

This again? I shot my siren a reprimanding look.

"Sue says elves' anatomy isn't so different from humans', and mermen can have offspring with human women, so..."

I flapped my tail in the water hard enough to get the whole of my silly siren wet.

"Fuck!" She lifted her dinner up to see water dripping off the chicken breast. Then she sighed. "I should have seen this coming."

I nodded. She should have. I had explained enough times that I'd had enough children to bring up on my own to crave doing it again. If I ever had more children, they had to be mine and Aly's, period. And since the moon curse had taken this chance from us, I wasn't going to be a father ever again. Period.