Keld
The freckled Omega stared up at Keld, shock and indignation clear on his face. Adorable.
“What?” Keld asked innocently. “The instructor told us to find a partner. Seems like everyone else is taken.”
Grayson’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t refuse. Keld’s smile widened.
“Everyone have a partner?” Alyssa called out. “Anyone still need one? No? Great.” She gestured to someone off stage. An Alpha banded with thick muscles stepped up to join her.
“This is Tuyot, and they’ll be assisting me today.”
Keld knew Tuyot. Not well, but the powerful Alpha was a regular sight at Siren. Most of the humans in the crowd were looking slightly concerned for little Alyssa’s safety. Until the Mer dropped to their knees, back to the crowd. Alyssa selected a neon green rope—highly visible even from afar.
“Now,” the woman said, “I’ll ask one partner to come up to the board and grab a rope.”
Keld leaned down, stopping just above Grayson’s shoulder. The Omega stiffened.
“I’ll get it,” Keld purred. “You wait here.”
As he made his way to the front, Keld spied a female Alpha with burnt orange scales—the one he’d seen take Aureli home a few nights ago. He’d thought she seemed familiar then, but seeing her here jogged his memory back into place.
“Hey, Malukti!” he called in Loaish. “It’s been a while.” Zasia’s old friend. He’d met her once or twice at Siren, but he had a feeling she’d done it more to placate Zasia than out of true interest in kink.
“Ke—Ah—Tuiket,” she replied, smiling. “Still a frequent flyer, huh?”
Keld shrugged. “What else is there to do on a weeknight?”
Malukti laughed. “I think most people have something called hobbies.”
“This is my hobby!” Keld protested. “You here with someone? Or just browsing?”
Malukti tilted her head toward the crowd. “I brought someone, but I don’t know him well.”
“Does his name happen to be Aureli?”
“Aureliano,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “How did you know?”
“I watched you pick him up at Vitor’s the other night.”
The female Alpha chuckled. “Thought I saw you there.” She took a red rope from the rack. “How about you? Browsing?”
Keld selected an orange one. “Not exactly. We’ll see where the night goes.” He winked.
“Good luck, then.” Malukti grinned before disappearing into the crowd.
Keld returned to Grayson, whose expression had shifted from indignation to aggravation.
“You know Malukti?” he said, scowling.
“She’s a friend of a friend. Why?” Keld couldn’t keep his mouth from curling at the corners. Grayson made himself far too easy to provoke.
“Figures,” he muttered under his breath. “This island is too small.”
“Ah, but if the island was bigger, I’d have a much harder time running into you.”
Grayson opened his mouth to retort, but Alyssa’s voice drowned him out. Keld held a finger to his lips and pointed up at the stage. Grayson’s face was utterly mutinous.
“Does every pair have a rope? Excellent. Now before we start tying, we have a few ground rules to cover.”
