Page 74 of Loched in Love

Lachlan laughs, a deep, rich sound that echoes off the cave walls he strides over and effortlessly scoops me up into his arms.

“You did beautifully down there, my flower,” Lachlan murmurs, his voice smooth and rumbly against my skin. He presses a warm kiss into my damp hair, his strong arms holding me tight against the cool cavern air, and I lean into his body heat and rest my chin on his chest.

“That was amazing. I’ve never felt so safe in deep water before. But I think next time we go treasure hunting you can be the one doing the swimming. I’m exhausted.”

Lachlan Macbeth

I smile, my fingers gently tracing soothing rhythmic patterns along her spine as we stare out over the lagoon. “Deal, my clever mermaid, anything you want.”

Elena sinks deeper into my embrace, and the steady, powerful rhythm of her breathing tells me that she’s right on the edge of sleep.

My arms are wrapped tightly around her, absorbing her warmth, but I feel a subtle heavy pressure dragging against my chest. I looked down before shifting out of her shimmering scales and back into her smooth human skin.

She has stubbornly tucked her damp hair up and slid the ancient gold crown right over her brow again, testing its weight and looking very much like a queen.

She’s playing with it again.

The ring of metal is incredibly thick and pressing into her forehead with a regal metallic weight that looks like a workout just to balance, but the fierce look in her gaze tells me that she has no intention of taking it off.

“Seriously though,” Elena says, carefully tilting her head against my chest so the massive gold band doesn’t slide off and catch me in the nose. “This crown is a serious workout just to wear. I feel like my neck muscles are going to be ripped by tomorrow, and I don’t know how anyone ever managed to walk around with this much solid gold on their skull without cracking their spine.”

A low base, heavy rumble rises in my chest, the true sound of my satisfaction. I reach up, the rough knuckles of my large hand gently brushing against the thick edge of the gold resting right at her hairline. “It was likely forged for a ruler who wanted the world to see exactly how much power he could bear. But if it’s too heavy we can put it back in the pile.”

“No, I really like it. I can’t believe it was just there. I wonder how long it’d been sitting in that very spot,” she says, balancing the massive gold hoop proudly on her head. “Do you think tomorrow I could have a look at the back on the far side of the cave and take a sample?”

“Anything your heart desires, my flower.”

She beams a smile at me that sends warmth bathing my insides.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, but the sound ends on a yawn. “I have a few sterile packs saved, and I swear if my college professor doesn’t give me an automatic A plus on my college thesis for this deep of a contrast between untouched centuries old sediment and the pollution near the lab, I’m throwing him straight to the ocean.”

I let out a laugh. “I’ll gladly assist with the throwing if required, but you don’t have to face your advisor or any of it alone, Elena. I’m no longer tied down to the depths of the moat or this loch, and I’ll go wherever you lead. We can go together, always.”

Through our mate bond, I feel thick syrupy waves of pure affection swirl from her side, completely melting away the last remnants of her academic stresses. Her eyelids flutter shut through sheer exhaustion as her first major deep-sea swim finally takes over.

Deciding she’s spent enough time on the cold hard rock of the cavern’s edge, I slip one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back and effortlessly lift her into my arms as she lets out a soft, sleepy sigh, her hands automatically clutching my neck.

Carrying her high against my chest, I step away from the water’s edge and walk her onto the massive galleon ship I tucked away long ago deep in the dry rock of my cavern, my bare feet padding softly against the centuries old weathered wood of the deck as I carry her straight into the captain’s quarters.

My mate’s new home is filled with a plush bed, heavy velvet drapes, and warm, flickering glow of lanterns that cast long shadows across the dark timber, making me glad I saw fit to take the big boat to begin with, as I’ve rarely actually slept in here. But now, I’ve more than enough reason to use the old galleon, and Elena seems more than pleased with it.

I gently lay her down on the thick pile of blankets, and as her head sinks into the pillows, I carefully reach up and slide the heavy gold crown off her. It weighs down my hand, a literal tribute to the level of her stubbornness.

She’s like a stubborn billy goat when her mind is on something, my wee lass.

I place the heavy crown on the weathered bedside table, glad to relieve her poor neck of the strain. As I pull the plush furs over her bare shoulders, a sudden spike of amused panic flashes across our mental link.

She lets out a snort and a soft chuckle leaves her as she lies against the pillows, her gaze cracking open.

“What is it, my flower?” I ask softly, my fingers tangling in her damp blonde hair and tracing the faint red line where the heavy gold rim had just rested.

I frown at the offending mark, wishing I had the type of magic to remove it.

“I was just thinking about when I have to head back home, and how we could possibly get there,” she mumbles, yawning heavily. “Can you swim through the ocean to the states?”

“Technically I could, but it would take weeks and I’d have to rest every so often. But we could do it. It can be done.”

“Oh, I only have a few days before I have to be back,” she replies worriedly.