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“Yeah, kid?”
“You wanna just… um.”
“Um,” he said when Percy’s attention drifted. He grinned and tugged on his tiny, toddler-fat fingers. “Um um um.”
Percy giggled and kicked his feet. “Um. We could build a sandcastle.”
“We could,” Remi said.
And he would. He didn’t love his life. He didn’t love the idea of his future or the fact that he’d probably be one of the most universally hated crowned royals thanks to his human blood. He didn’t love that he’d be judged for never finding his fated mate because half humans didn’t get those. But he loved his siblings more than life itself.
Percy leaned forward as far as he could over his seat straps to catch his sister’s eye. “He’s gonna build it. A big one.”
“Wiff a princess,” Sadie said.
“You’re a princess,” Remi reminded her, tugging on her braid.
She squealed and shoved him away, and he settled back into his seat again. He hadn’t packed for the beach, but it didn’t matter. There was probably an entire beach house worth of supplies in the trunk of the car, and maybe some sun would do him good.
The best he could get on campus was sunbathing in the commons while his frat brothers played ultimate frisbee. He’d been banned from organized sports for being non-human since the human government didn’t know how far his abilities extended.
The sad part was, even if he’d joined the damn swimming team, the only way he’d break any records would be if he shifted to his tail, and there was no way he’d ever want that kind of attention. But he accepted his fate with a quiet reluctance because the last thing he wanted to do was stir the pot.
Closing his eyes, he did his best to think about school but failed ten seconds in when the damn Hellhound’s face appeared in the washed-out orange of his eyelids. He was suddenly picturing Jeremiah standing out in the sand with big flippers and arm floaties with his broad, pale bare chest, and all those abs, and…
He opened his eyes and winced at the bright sun before pulling his shades out of his pocket.
God, what the hell was wrong with him?
“Ocean!” Percy cried.
Sadie echoed him, her voice reaching that ear-piercing whistle tone.
Percy tried to ignore the call of the waves, but it didn’t matter how human he was. The moment they were close enough to see the water, he felt something humming just under his skin. He felt his Voice tugging at the back of his throat. He rarely sang, his Song not nearly as beautiful or powerful as a full-blooded Siren, but gods, he missed just being comfortable in his own skin. He used to be, hadn’t he?
He cleared his throat and tried not to fidget as the driver navigated through the entry gate, then took them down the familiar one-lane road that led toward the sandy dunes. He felt like he was going to shake out of his skin by the time they pulled into a parking spot, and Remi had all but given up on keeping his chill.
The second the car jolted into park, Remi had the door open, and he was quickly scrambling for his siblings’ buckles. As a mostly adult, he had enough control over his faculties to keep the twins’ hands in his own as they hurried over the embankment, letting their guards handle the bags, and all three of them had lost their shoes just in time to hit the waves.
He felt a soft, easy ripple from the cool water race up his calves and over his hips. There was a familiar itch behind his knees, his shift clawing at him, but even if he’d wanted to, the moments he could manifest his tail took more effort than he had the energy for that morning.
He’d only done it a few times since he’d gone off to university, but just like his Song, the feeling never left him. It just went quiet sometimes.
The voices behind him got louder, and as he let the kids splash a few feet away, Remi looked over his shoulder to see Jeremiah standing surprisingly near while the rest of the guards set up the tent. Remi normally helped with tasks like that, but it had been so long since he’d been near the water he’d been unable to help himself.
He knew this wasn’t exactly helping his cause every time he protested that he wasn’t a spoiled royal brat, but really, what the fuck did he care what the hellbeast thought of him? He’d read all about them and knew what Hellhounds were like. Abominations. Untrustworthy and dangerous.
Humans didn’t have their own fated mates because they lacked magic.
Hellhounds didn’t have them because they were part of a long, cursed line that didn’t belong in their world. There was some folklore that contradicted that, but Remi wasn’t sure what he believed. Considering Hellhounds had nearly gone extinct, it seemed like maybe it was true.
He met Jeremiah’s gaze, and for a second, he thought maybe the bodyguard could hear his thoughts with the way his expression darkened. Then Jeremiah sneered and turned his attention back to the twins. Because he just didn’t like Remi.
Even if he’d gotten all handsy with him.
And kind of soft.
No, he told himself. As a matter of fact, fuck no. You are not going down that road.
