Grayson laughed, a sound of relief and joy more beautiful than any piece of music. Keld placed a finger under his Omega’s chin and kissed him.
“Grayson?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you.”
Epilogue
Grayson
Grayson shifted from foot to foot, listening to the creak of the dock beneath. The speedboat was little more than a glinting speck in the horizon, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
“Nervous?” Keld draped both arms around Grayson’s neck from behind. “Everything will be fine.”
The Mer was in his land form, tail retracted and scales pulled tight to resemble a human skin tone. His hair was unbound, concealing the inhuman ears, and he wore a pair of light linen shorts with a white t-shirt. To the untrained eye, he looked entirely human, provided you didn’t meet his unnatural orange gaze.
“I know, I know.” Grayson’s mouth produced the words robotically. In truth, he’d tried for the past two weeks to envision his brothers here, in the Mermades, living amongst the aliens they’d hated so much. He couldn’t picture it. He couldn’t even imagine the happy reunion Keld kept promising.
Together, they watched the deep blue boat race closer and closer, a large, dark shape leaping from the water on either side—the captain’s mate, Grayson thought, though he couldn’t remember the massive Alpha’s name.
His fingers were cold, despite the bright, noon sun, and his palms were damp with anxious sweat. His jaw ached with tension, but he couldn’t figure out how to unclench it.
“Here they come,” Keld murmured. He pecked Grayson on the cheek and dropped his arms, striding toward the end of the dock.
“Vuos!” he called, hand raised in greeting. “Showing off, as always.”
“I believe there is a saying,” Vuos said as his fingers worked the heavy ropes, “that goes ‘if you got it, flaunt it’.”
Keld laughed, but Grayson’s face remained a mask of tension. Jameson hopped off the boat, ignoring Vuos’s offered hand. His eyes, the same pale blue as Grayson’s own, were fixed on his older brother.
Grayson took a few wooden steps in Jameson’s direction. “You made it.”
“Yep, sure did.” Jameson’s gaze flickered to the purple foliage over Grayson’s shoulders. “Guess my camo won’t work here, huh?”
Grayson managed a short laugh. “It’s good to see you, James.”
At last, his brother’s mouth quirked up in a grin. “Good to see you too, Gray.”
“Grayson!” Dawson’s familiar, eager voice slashed through the awkward bubble hovering between his older brothers.
“Daws!” Grayson opened one arm and gave Dawson a tight side hug. His stomach plummeted at the sight of the boy’s face.
Dawson’s left eye was mottled with healing greenish yellow, with more bruising around his throat. His arms were bare and burning in the Miami sun, but those, too, were marred with violence.
“Jesus Daws,” Grayson said, swallowing hard against the wave of guilt that crashed over him. “You okay?”
Dawson shrugged. “Kinda hurts when I poke ‘em, but they’re sure better than they used to be.”
Jameson was watching Dawson with the same angry, guilty expression that almost certainly contorted Grayson’s face.
Dawson frowned. “Guys, I’m fine. C’mon, let’s go! I wanna see our new digs.”
Keld met Grayson’s eyes from behind the two brothers. He was staying back until Grayson called him over, like they planned.
Grayson took a deep breath through his nose. “Sure, Daws. But first, I need to introduce you to someone.” He jerked his head at Keld, and the Mer returned to his place at Grayson’s side.
Keld smiled down at Jameson and Dawson, both of whom shrank back slightly.
