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And then he saw him.
Jeremiah was less than twenty feet from the edge of the pool, his eyes almost glowing as he watched Remi. His hands were in fists at his sides, and he was taking steps toward the water like he had no choice. Like he was under Remi’s spell.
The Song died in his throat, and panic took its place as Remi raced to the edge of the water, prepared to stop Jeremiah before he dove in. He pushed his tail against the bottom of the pool and rose as Jeremiah fell to his knees, impossibly warm hands cradling his face.
“You…” Jeremiah whispered.
Remi’s heart began to beat faster. He knew he should stop this. He couldn’t let Jeremiah touch him while he was under a thrall. He would have no ability to consent. No ability to decide for himself if this was what he wanted.
But by the gods, his touch sent sparks through Remi’s entire body.
“So beautiful,” Jeremiah murmured. His fingers traced a touch over the faint outline of Remi’s scales that decorated his torso. He pressed a flat palm to his sternum, then dragged it down until it reached the place where his skin became tail. It was sensitive, and he couldn’t help a heavy groan as Jeremiah pulled him closer.
The hand still touching his face pressed harder, his thumb grazing a line over Remi’s jaw.
“Kiss me,” Remi whispered.
Jeremiah’s eyes went even more dazed as he nodded and leaned in.
Seconds before their lips brushed, Remi snapped back to reality. With a strength he hadn’t even realized he possessed, he sent Jeremiah flying backward with a single shove, and he dove under the water. He took huge gulps of it through his gills, the chill calming the heat racing through his veins, and he looked up to see that his Hellhound was back, peering over the edge.
“I can’t,” he murmured to himself, no sound coming from his throat. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”
He was too human, except for all the moments he wasn’t, and his Siren side was dangerous. It had stripped Jeremiah of reason and will, and Remi would rather die than ever, ever put him at risk again.
He looked through the rippling surface and saw Jeremiah was no longer wearing his shirt and was removing his pants. Panic gripped him, and Remi shot to the surface, holding up his hand.
“Don’t!”
Jeremiah looked at him with a familiar expression of fond annoyance, and he dropped down to his ass, putting both feet in the water. “I know how to swim, princeling.”
“You’re under my thrall,” Remi said. Fuck, even under a spell, and the man was still so goddamn stubborn. “Stop,” Remi ordered, calling on his Voice.
Jeremiah pushed through the order, and seconds later, he was in the water. It was too deep for him to stand, so he swam forward with powerful strokes, and Remi backed up until he hit the edge of the sun bench. Jeremiah was on him in seconds, using his grip on Remi’s waist to keep his head above the water.
“Breathe,” Jeremiah ordered.
Remi realized he’d been holding his breath, and he let one out through his lungs. “You have to get away from me.”
Jeremiah just raised a brow. “Why’s that?”
“My Song. I… it’s…” He licked his lips and fought the urge to put his arms around Jeremiah and wrap him close. “I didn’t mean to.”
Jeremiah closed his eyes, then suddenly, he laughed. “You didn’t do anything.”
“I saw your face.”
His expression going soft, Jeremiah tipped his head lower to meet Remi’s gaze. “Your Song is beautiful, Remi. And so are you. I didn’t know if I’d get the chance to see you shifted.”
Remi’s breath trembled in his chest. “I know how the Song works, Jer—”
“So do I,” Jeremiah said. “But it doesn’t work on me, apparently. I’m… a freak of nature. I’m a hellbeast,” he said like it was a curse, and Remi wanted to claw the face off anyone who had ever made Jeremiah feel like that was a bad thing. Jeremiah tipped Remi’s chin up with a finger. “Look at me. I’m in this water because I want you—but it’s not because of your Song. The other night wasn’t because of your Song.”
Remi flushed a deep, rippling indigo, and Jeremiah groaned, leaning in and dragging a rough tongue over his collarbone. “Please,” Remi whispered.
Jeremiah chuckled hotly and pulled Remi so their bodies were flush. “Whatever you want, my prince.”
Remi shuddered, then wrapped his tail around Jeremiah’s legs, supporting him so he didn’t have to hold on so tightly. “Touch me.”
