“A few times,” Grayson answered, nocking an arrow. “I just realized I don’t see Mer couples that often. It’s mostly interspecies pairs.”
“That’s because we live on the southern side of the island. The northern shore is mostly Mer.”
Grayson frowned. “I should really explore the island more.”
“I can take you up north when we get back,” Keld said. He took a larger bow, one too big for Grayson to handle with any semblance of grace. “If you’ve only done this a few times, you should probably watch me do it first.”
Grayson raised a brow. “You’ve shot a lot of bows, huh?”
“A fair few,” Keld replied. He nocked his arrow and took aim, but before he drew his arm back, Grayson let his arrow fly. It struck the center of his target with a resoundingthunk.
Keld’s head snapped around, mouth agape.
Grayson shrugged, trying not to laugh. “We used to bowhunt every deer season.”
The Mer was still staring.
“What?” he said a bit defensively. “Is itthatsurprising I can shoot?”
“It’s just…” Keld’s eyes ran down Grayson’s body. “I’m having a hard time picturing you in camo and covered in deer blood.”
“Well, that was my life until a few months ago.” Grayson fired another arrow. This time, he hit Keld’s target.
“Show off,” Keld muttered.
“I thought your target looked lonely.”
Keld threw him a look of mock outrage. Lifting the massive bow again, he drew his arm back. Grayson paused to admire the way Keld’s muscles bunched under his scales, and how the lines of his back tapered to that perfectly narrow waist.
Thunk.
Keld and Grayson stared at the arrow in silence for a second.
“In your defense,” Grayson said, “that tree deserved it.”
“I was just warming up!” Keld snatched another arrow and leveled the bow at his target. The arrow hissed as it skidded through the sand at the base of the target.
“Wow, that’s an unfamiliar technique,” Grayson commented, struggling to maintain a straight face.
Keld growled in response.
“Want some help?” Grayson slid his hands slowly down Keld’s arms, pressing his body to the Mer’s back. Keld froze. Suppressing a smile, Grayson gently repositioned Keld’s grip on the bow.
“Draw,” he whispered. Keld’s body was too broad for Grayson to guide both hands, so he leaned to the right, tracing a line down Keld’s taut arm until he reached the hand hooking the bowstring. With the barest pressure, Grayson made adjustments to Keld’s stance and grip.
Then, he stretched onto the tips of his toes and breathed, “Release.”
The arrow whizzed from the bow, striking wood, but Grayson didn’t bother to see where it landed. Instead, he let his hands roam down Keld’s body. The Alpha was a statue, his shallow breathing the only indication of life.
“You like not being in charge right now, don’t you?” Grayson tugged Keld’s wrist toward his mouth and brushed his lips along the thin scales.
Keld didn’t respond.
Grayson peeked up at him, a twinge of nerves breaking through the high he’d felt taking charge. “Keld?”
Keld replaced the bow on its rack and turned to face Grayson fully, eyes half-lidded. “If you keep doing things like that, we’re never going to leave the tent.”
Emboldened once again, Grayson closed the distance between them and slid his arms around Keld’s waist. Something hard and restrained bulged against Grayson’s stomach.
