Grayson whimpered, hands curling into fists on the sheets.
“Oh, he is already so wet,” Reiz said, glancing over at Keld. “We may need to give this poor Omega some relief sooner than anticipated.” He leaned closer to Grayson’s face. “Shall we take turns fucking your hole and your throat?”
Another wordless sound fell from Grayson’s lips.
“Forgotten your words, have you,aiu?”
Aiu.Reiz calledhisOmegaaiu.
“Red!”
Chapter 23
Grayson
Grayson stared at the corner in shock. Keld was on his feet, fins flared wide, and eyes blazing.
He… called the safe word.
Reiz stopped at once, severing all physical contact with Grayson. “What is wrong, Keld?”
“I’m sorry, Reiz, I…” Keld sucked in a deep breath. “I can’t watch this.”
Grayson’s jaw dropped. “This wasyouridea.”
“I know,” Keld snapped. “I know, I just—I don’t…”
Reiz, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. “I understand, Keld. Do not worry. No hard feelings. Though I suggest you have a serious discussion with Gray.” The rose-scaled Alpha looked to Grayson. “And, depending on the outcome of this discussion, you are always welcome to come find me. Though the time was short, I still enjoyed it immensely.”
Reiz offered Keld a nod of acknowledgement, flared his facial fins, and then he was gone.
Grayson sat bolt upright on the bed. “What the fuck, Keld?”
The Mer scrubbed at his face with his hands. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to be sorry, you need to tell me what the hell just happened.”
Grayson had no clue why he was so irritated. He hadn’t really wanted to do this in the first place, and he’d just spent the last five minutes pretending Reiz was Keld. If anything, he should be grateful, and yet…
“I don’t know!” Keld collapsed onto the bed beside him. “I don’t know. He called youaiu, and I just lost it.”
“What does that word even mean? Why wouldthatbe what set you off?”
“It’s not the meaning, it’s—” Keld broke off with a sigh. “Aiuis a term for someone who obeys well and without question. In most contexts, it’s not exactly polite, but in the kink community…”
Confusion dulled Grayson’s aggravation. “Why would it matter if he called me that, then?”
“Because…” Keld hesitated. “Because that’s my name for you. I didn’t like hearing him say it.”
The cool, comforting smell of greenery and loam punctured the sterile air around them, something Grayson had become intimately familiar with in the past few months.
Ignoring the pheromones, Grayson stared down at the Mer in disbelief. “You werejealous?”
“No! Maybe? Okay, yes, I was jealous. Happy?” Keld flung an arm over his eyes.
“What happened to ‘you can see other people besides me’?” Grayson’s attempt to mimic Keld’s much deeper voice made the Mer snort.
“I thought I was holding you back from the full experience. Or, like… Maybe you felt like you owed me something.”
