Reba and Char were waiting in the stable when the carriage pulled to a stop, both tense. “What’s wrong with them?” Austin asked Tristan, peering out through the glass. Tristan, in the middle of kissing Austin’s shoulder, let out a distracted, “Hm?”
Austin buttoned up Hal’s jacket, which fell to his mid-thigh. It hid the worst of the mess on his body. Only some of the semen rubbed into his thighs remained visible, and even that blended with his skin. He opened the door before Tristan could.
“Why are you tense?” Austin climbed out of the carriage.
The second they laid eyes on him, the tension vanished, relief flashing across both their faces. Reba rushed forward, offering his hand to Austin to help him down the last step.
Reba shared a small smile with him. “We thought Tristan might be coming back in an even worse mood than he left in,” he whispered. “I’m glad you’re back. Will I carry you so your feet don’t get dirty?”
If Reba carried him, he was definitely going to end up with semen on his clothes. “No. I’m going back into the ocean anyway.”
Tristan, having climbed out of the carriage after him, stiffened. “You’re leaving already?”
“Eli said you were working on my nest. I want to see it.” Austin twisted to peer up at Tristan’s furrowed brow, which relaxed at once. “I’m also going to go speak with Connor.”
The furrow promptly returned.
“You can come with me.”
Reba and Char joined them for the walk to the shore, Char filling Tristan in on a few letters and requests he’d gone through over the last few days. “Desor has sent another three. He wants you to—”
“Just burn them,” Austin snapped, annoyed. “Who cares what he wants?”
Char cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Burn them,” Tristan said, untroubled. “And make sure he knows he is not welcome at the estate.”
“Sir?” Char’s entire aged body twisted towards Tristan in surprise. “I doubt he’ll take a refusal to hear his case quietly. It might be easier to hear him out first and then refuse him.”
“His presence is unwanted,” Tristan answered. He increased his pace and came side by side with Austin as they stepped between two buildings and arrived at the gutted shoreline. The tide was low, so Austin could see the work Tristan had begun to connect his nest to the ocean.
“Is Desor the reason you want to live elsewhere?”
“What?”
“This six-months…thing.” Tristan’s voice took on an unhappy quality.
Char and Reba vanished with astonishing speed.
“I believe I have made the estate an agreeable place for you otherwise. If I get rid of him, will you stay?”
“It’s a rule where I’m from. You have to be seeing someone for at least six months before you live together.”
Tristan paused. “I believe we should follow my customs instead.”
“Is it painful for you to be apart from me?” Austin faced Tristan, studying his face closely. “Is it starting to bother you? Your skin? Your senses?”
“It isn’t painful in that sense…” Tristan’s eyes were fixed on Austin’s, his gaze unerringly direct. “But I have only got to wake with you on a few mornings, and now you are saying we must wait six months to do so again? I do not see the sense in this rule. Why does it exist, exactly?”
Austin didn’t want to admit he didn’t know the details, reluctant to broadcast his ignorance. “Not living together doesn’t mean we can’t spend the night together.”
Austin swore the stubborn look in Tristan’s eyes screamed,So why not just live together?“You will spend the night, then?”
Austin doubted Tammy would have everything with Liam kicking off tonight. Plus… “I don’t really want to swim all the way back. My shoulders are sore from pulling Eli to Justerra.”
“I’ll rub them,” Tristan promised. “All night, if you like.”
“Hm. Alright. For now, can you lead me to Connor? I don’t want to…reachin his direction.” Austin shuddered. “I never want to feel that connection again.”
