Mermen, Book 2
Fantasy Romance, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, Reverse Harem
Date Published: 4/7/2023
Daisy Daniels never expected her temp job cleaning for three hunks on a
private island would lead to romance. She clearly hasn’t been watching
enough reality TV. Falling in love with one, let alone all three of the
Watersons, would be complicated enough without the burden of protecting
their secret. Ocean, Bayou, and River aren’t just celebrity treasure
hunters, they’re mermen.
Protecting the secret of her lovers is more challenging than Daisy ever
imagined, almost as challenging as learning to cook without the help of the
internet. Still, her life with the Triad would be perfect if River’s
father, the King of Atlantis, didn’t hate her, and if Kai, the Prince
of the Aegeans, wasn’t constantly causing trouble.
When karaoke night reveals Daisy has gift she has a lot more to think about
than the laundry. Saving the world was never in the job description. How can
she risk using her newfound gift when she could harm the three people she
loves most?
EXCERPT
River swore under his breath. He hadn’t expected his father to show
up. The old man’s timing couldn’t have been worse. In the
upheaval of the last twenty-four hours, they’d missed an important
call about a dive. That job couldn’t have come at a ghastlier time.
They needed the footage, but the wreck wasn’t in Aegean-controlled
currents. When they’d decided to dive it, they’d had no idea how
complicated their lives would become. He turned to Daisy. “This is my
father, King Delta, the ruler of Atlantis.” He returned his attention
to his father. “Father, this is Daisy. She’s my Triad’s
mate.”
Father snorted a rude, almost dismissive, sound. “A human?”
Father spoke out loud, but in Atlantean. “Why are you so intent on
destroying my faith that you’ll rule? I have given you time to come to
your senses, but I’m starting to lose patience.”
River bristled. He replied in English. “I will not allow you to
disrespect my mate.”
Daisy put her hand on River’s arm. “It’s
okay.”
He could see the compassion in her beautiful brown eyes. “No,
it’s not.” River put his arm around Daisy. Ocean and Bayou moved
to stand at his side.
King Delta sighed. “I see you and your Triad are in agreement,”
he continued in Atlantean, excluding Daisy.
“We are,” River said. “Triad always.”
“The seal must be found.” Father glared at Daisy a moment
before turning his attention back to River. “I can’t believe you
were so weak as to allow that pathetic excuse for a male to come into your
home and take what belongs to our kingdom.” He glanced at Ocean and
Bayou. “For all your talk of Triad, they’ve done nothing to help
you protect our legacy.” He pinned River with an intense look filled
with authority and anger. “River, you and you alone were entrusted
with the seal as my way to ensure you remembered your responsibilities.
Instead, you have mated with a human and let Prince Kai walk away with a
national treasure. What do you have to say for yourself?”
River’s throat tightened. Even as ridiculous as his father looked
standing on land in nothing but a cape, he still bore his position with an
aura of power. He could still make River feel like nothing with a glance. If
he tried to explain that Daisy would have died if he’d gone after the
artifact, would his father relent? Probably not. “I’m sorry,
Father.”
“Sorry will not get the seal back. Sorry will not change the fact you
tied your soul to a frail human. What are you going to do, my son?”
Father crossed his arms over his chest.
“We will help River get the seal back,” Ocean assured the
king.
Father’s brow creased as he regarded Ocean with disgust. “I was
not talking to you, traitor.”
River scowled. “Ocean would give his life for me and for our kingdom.
He is not a traitor.”
King Delta turned to Bayou. “And did you want the human too, monster?
Couldn’t you have talked sense into your prince? You know how easily
the vulnerable are destroyed. You know how weak a human is, and yet you
would allow your prince to tie you all to one female’s short
life?”
Bayou glared at the king. “She has the strength of a Triad
now.”
Few would have had the courage to do the same. River’s throat
tightened.
“You are all pathetic!” The king growled, shaking his fist at
River. “If the law allowed me to give the throne to your sister, I
would. If you do not regain the seal, I’ll have my army drag those
criminals you bonded with to the deepest, darkest prison in Atlantis.
I’ll make sure they stay alive, but in hellish misery.”
Ocean and Bayou both stiffened. River looked away, unable to meet the anger
and shame Father directed at him. “Father, please, don’t say
such things. Daisy is human and you might disapprove of my decision to form
our Triad but doing that would be beneath you. A king should never seek
personal vengeance. You’ve told me that many times.”
His father took a step closer to him. He raised his fist. “You dare
–”
Daisy stepped closer to the king. “I don’t know what
you’re saying to them but chill out.”
King Delta turned his attention away from River to glare at Daisy.
“Chill out?” he parroted in heavily accented English.
“Yes,” she said. “Chill. These are amazing men, and your
tone is clear no matter what language you’re speaking. They
don’t deserve a lecture. This is their home. If you can’t be
respectful, maybe you should leave.”
River, Ocean, and Bayou inhaled sharply in unison. No one had ever dared
tell King Delta to leave before now.
“I will not do this chill out! Fool human! You are of weak thoughts.
You give yourself to these males, but they are little fish. Weak
fish.” King Delta’s chin rose as he narrowed his eyes at
Daisy.
“Let me assure you, there’s nothing little about these
fish.” Daisy rolled her eyes and a small chuckle escaped. She looked
to River, and he could see love in her gaze. “They are strong and
brave.”
The king’s guard wore heavy tunics that fell to their knees. River
was glad for Daisy’s sake that they were mostly covered as the large
men approached her. Bayou was the first to make a protective move toward
Daisy. The guards, knowing full well how easily Bayou could destroy their
minds with gift, all stopped.
Daisy glared at the king of Atlantis, causing River to catch his breath in
fear for her. “Who’s the little fish now? You need all these big
guys to protect you from a human woman’s words?”
The king gave a derisive snort, but he held his hand up to stay his guard.
In Atlantean he said, “Don’t bother with this unarmed human.
She’s no threat to us.” Then he looked at Daisy and returned to
speaking English. “Your tongue is sharp, female. But in water you have
no protection from my wrath. Stay dry, woman of my son’s Triad, for
under the waves my anger is great.” He turned, his cape billowing
dramatically, then motioned for his guard to follow. His entourage tripped
over themselves in their haste.
River was quiet as he watched them go. Bayou had moved to put his arm
around Daisy. When they were gone Daisy turned to look at her Triad. She
tilted her head to the side as her brow furrowed. “What? Why are you
all so pale?”
Bayou stepped back to scowl at her. He started to pace. “That was
fucking stupid. If you see River’s father again, keep your mouth
shut.”
Daisy sucked in a sharp breath. Her lips pursed angrily, and her gaze
shifted on Bayou with wrath. River put his arm around her, tugging her
close. He picked up her long brown braid and tickled her nose with it. Her
soft, sensual giggles broke the tension. When she looked up into his face,
he had to kiss her. His lips caught hers and his kiss was hungry,
needy.
No one else had ever spoken up for him like she had. She’d had no
idea just how dangerous her actions were, but that blind need to protect his
heart fed his need to be close to her. When he broke the kiss, he put his
cheek on the top of her head. “Brave and foolish. You’re perfect
for us.”
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