Blood for Atlantis Read online

  We make it down the hall, and he kicks open my bedroom door then tosses me on the bed. Instantly, he is upon me again. Kissing me on my lips then moving to my neck. I don’t even notice when his skilled hands undo the hooks on the front of my sports bra I was training in. I only notice when his mouth lands on my nipple, sending shivers through my body.

  I have no control over what my body is doing. I push my chest outward, eager from more, but Breck ignores my want. Moaning in protest, I wiggle beneath him.

  Breck works his way down my abdomen, pulling my pants off of me in one incredibly smooth movement. I watch as he stands at the end of my bed, removing his board shorts. When his length springs free, I am reminded of how he tasted in my mouth. I gently lick my teeth, reveling in the memory. I do love the taste of a man.

  Breck stares at me while working his length with his hand. I am in awe of how lucky I am and how badly I want him inside. “Please, no more waiting. I need you.”

  “Who do you need, Meri?”

  “You, Breck. I need you in me now. It’s been too long,” I plead with him, and he nods, eyes darkening. I said what he wanted to hear.

  No more foreplay, and no more games. I want all of my men, and I want it hard. That is exactly what Breck did to me. I don’t know if it is the Ares in me or the savagery of what I am, but I am no longer nervous when it comes to intimacy. Something has woken a beast in me.

  My fingernails rake Breck’s back, leaving shallow marks as he thrusts into me over and over again, his member filling me to completion. I let my voice be heard wailing in pure delight.

  My eyes look over Breck’s shoulder, and I see Morgan perched in the doorway watching. It spurs me on harder. I lift myself off of the bed, wrapping my legs around Breck. I may be beneath him, but now I am the one in control.

  I buck wildly and grind my hips to his, hitting just the right spot. My release is approaching. I look up into Breck’s perfect chiseled face and scream in delight as I go over the edge into oblivion.

  “Sweet goddess of mine,” Breck groans and collapses upon me with an extra thrust to drive home his seed. We lay there together for a few minutes before he rolls off of me.

  “I have to go and check in with Morgan, we should be nearing the docking point today.”

  I do nothing but give him a lazy sated smile. In response, a sly grin appears on Breck’s face. If I were still in Atlantis, I would never have expected Breck would be my first solo encounter, but I am so glad it happened that way. I didn’t need nor want someone to go gentle with me like Aden would have.

  It takes a few minutes, but eventually, I peel my sated body out of bed. I want to see where we are arriving. I take a brief shower in my luxury bathroom, and then don a pair of black women’s shorts and a blue bikini top. I’m grateful the men came prepared with an entire wardrobe. Morgan was right that first day, I really didn’t need to bring anything.

  20

  Out on the deck of the yacht, I observe Aden, Breck, and Laki looking out on the empty ocean. I approach them from behind, barefoot and happier than I have been in ages. Part of me doesn’t even want to return to Atlantis. Maybe Poseidon is right, and it is safer for me to not be there. Instead, I should roam the seas with my men doing whatever it is they do.

  “I thought you said we were getting ready to dock soon?” I ask as I look across the water, absent of land or even birds. We are in the middle of the ocean somewhere.

  “We are,” Breck counters, not going into any more detail.

  “It is a dock of sorts. More like a safe place to put down anchor where there are mermen who will watch over our boat, while we go to Triton’s city,” Aden explains.

  I nod my understanding. I remember learning about Triton’s city in school, but I never imagined I would get to visit. That means we are somewhere in the southern hemisphere.

  “So, how close are we?”

  “Very, that is why Morgan is steering us. He will be able to see the marker on the radar, and that is where we will stop and drop anchor. It won’t be long after that before someone surfaces to take care of the boat. Keeping us off the shore makes the trip into the city more discreet,” Aden says, giving me one of his typical lengthy explanations in his perfect British accent.

  “Does that mean we are docking at the city?”

  Laki bursts out in a laugh, “No, we can’t give away where our kind live.”

  “What he means to say is, we will have a few hours worth of swimming before we arrive,” Breck interjects, giving Laki a glare that could kill.

  I smile to myself when I realize Breck is head over heels over me. Laki, runs his hand through his dark hair, shrugging off Breck’s abrasiveness. I like that about Laki. He is always able to move past anything with a casual shrug. Laki is a jokester, the only one I have ever known. I can’t wait to see how he responds in bed with me. My naughty thoughts run away with me as I stare at my bronzed Hawaiian.

  “Like what you see?” Laki asks with a wink.

  My face reddens with heat, but I don’t turn around or deny I was staring. Instead, I reply, “Always.”

  Proud of myself for being even remotely witty, I grin ear to ear, keeping Laki’s gaze. He runs his hand through his hair again, looking briefly at his feet. My heart swells with endearment when I realize that I just made the infamous jokester uncomfortable. I can’t wait to explore him. The quiet engine on the yacht shuts off, signaling we have arrived.

  “Go get your weapons, love. Remember you will need to shift, so strapping the dagger to your thigh will be a no go.” Aden gives me a nod, and I turn, heading to the gym where the weapons are stored.

  My hand instinctively goes to the stone at my neck. It warms under my touch signalling to me that I am on the right path. The warmth is a reminder of where I came from and what challenges I have to face. I still don’t understand the dynamic between Ares and Poseidon. I also still don’t understand what it has to do with me. Seriously, I am still a child in terms of immortality.

  Immortality? Do my men also get to claim immortality since they are with me? I know if they were the gatekeepers they would, but I ruined that for them, and now they are not, technically, gatekeepers. My heart drops into my stomach. This is a subject I am eventually going to have to address. I shake off all of the feels as I enter the weapons room to retrieve my precious swords.

  I strap both of them across my back while still wearing my blue bikini top. I place the throwing knives about my waist with my precious dagger. I find a way to sheath it into the same strap holding the throwing knives. There is no way I will be leaving my favorite weapon behind.

  When I make my way back to the deck I see my men are already prepped. Laki is holding a long fishing spear in his hand and a fish hook on his back. I had never seen him with his weapons on. The absence of a sword surprises me.

  Aden and Morgan both have swords about their waist. Morgan also has a crossbow attached to his back. He catches me looking at him and sends me a sly smile, warming my heart. He watched me and Breck together, and the memory of it is hot. He is still gorgeously tall, dark, and handsome. The silver through his hair adds to the element of darkness shrouding him. But then it is also a stark reminder of his mortality. I quickly divert my gaze to Breck in an attempt to not think about it. Breck has crossed swords similar to mine strapped to his back, although they are much larger.

  I watch as Breck pushes the button, lowering the attached platform into the water. Soon, someone pushes the button below, and the platform begins its climb back to the deck. An average-size man with dark hair and a woman with blonde hair, similar to my own, appear. She is wearing a short skirt with a bikini top similar to mine. The man is dressed like Breck.

  “Holy fuck, Morgan, you found her,” the man says just before the woman slaps him on the back of the head.

  “Bow, you nitwit, she is a goddess.” Both of the newcomers drop to one knee out of respect.

  “Really, that isn’t necessary, I am not that important,” I counter.


  “Well, you kind of are, daughter of Aphrodite, granddaughter of Amphitrite, niece of Triton,” Laki says flippantly.

  I punch him in the arm hard, he winces and laughs. “Get up, Tora, and Jim, your highness doesn’t think she is important.”

  I glare at Laki, but inside, I am smiling at how he handles tense situations. Morgan and Aden appear to be all business.

  “We don’t know how long we will be down there. There are enough provisions on the boat to last three weeks. We have documentation that you are a pleasure yacht. Tell anyone who may come upon you the information I left for you in the cabin. Understand?” Morgan asks them.

  “Understood, sir, we will take good care of her,” Jim replies.

  “Thank you,” I’m grateful someone is here to watch over the yacht. It has begun to feel like a second home to me.

  All four of my men approach the ledge and strip off their pants. All I can see are four perfect asses that all belong to me. In that instant, I begin to ache with need causing my fangs to pop free the moment all four jump from the deck into the water below.

  “You need to follow them,” Tora whispers next to me. She is right, I need to follow them, but it is more than that. Now it is a hunt, and I want each of them alone. To hell with god wars. All I want is to spend my days chasing those four men–my gatekeepers, regardless of what Poseidon claims. I strip my shorts, diving in after them.

  The drop from the deck into the water is a long one. The air whooshes past, and my body completes its shift even before the first drop of water touches me. I have no idea what Laki meant about hating dry shifts, for me it all feels the same. When the water rushes over me, I open my eyes to see a vast clear-blue landscape. Home. The ocean will always be my home, no matter if I am beneath it or above. Instinctively, I am fiercely protective over it.

  “This way, Meri,” Morgan sends.

  The view of my merman is truly majestic. I wonder if they think the same of me. I swim behind Morgan with Aden and Laki on each side of me. Breck swims to the rear of us. It is a natural formation we fall into, or is it a planned formation the men hashed out before jumping into the water? Laki’s red and black scales keep garnering my attention. He is nearly invisible in dark water, but in light, he looks like a dragon of the sea.

  “How far is the swim?” I question no one in particular.

  “Hour or so,” came the vague reply from Morgan.

  We continue deep into the water until we are near the ocean bottom. Then we follow the ocean floor in the direction of the city, whichever direction that is. Apparently, all of my men have been here multiple times and are not confused in the least. We come upon a shipwreck, drawing my attention away from my men.

  “Best to stay out of there,” Aden sends me when he notices where my eye is drawn.

  “Easier said than done, I want to explore,” I quip.

  I give in without much of a fight. There will be time for me to explore later. I have centuries ahead of me, apparently. My only hope is that my men get the same amount of time. I am not comfortable with others, these four guys being the first friends and lovers I have ever had. I’ll never want to let them go.

  After another hour of swimming across a barren ocean floor, my tail begins to tire. I want to break the silence and ask if we are getting close, but also don’t want to show any weakness or be misconstrued as whining. I would be whining. Truth is I want to whine. Part of me wants to break down. One moment, I am thankful for my men and my life, then the next moment, I want to crumble under the pressure. I am certain the barren sea we are swimming over plays a major part in it all. When there is nothing of interest to look at, depression can set in.

  “Stop being ridiculous, Meri,” I chide myself in my head.

  “How are you being ridiculous?” Aden swims closer with his question.

  “It’s nothing, really. I am just wondering how much farther we have to swim.” I don’t mention being tired, but I am sure he notices me lagging a bit behind.

  “Not much farther. It is okay to be tired, you haven’t spent much time in this form. You had only shifted a few times before you were banned.”

  I don’t respond, because Aden is right. I am ashamed by my weakness since I spent my time before banishment working hard to always be the best and strongest. It is hard to acknowledge that, right now, my body is not what it should be. Once we arrive, I must make time to continue training. I have to be stronger and better prepared.

  My tail swishes, jolting me forward through the water with renewed vigor. I needed a goal, and now I have one. Sure, Atlantis is the ultimate goal, but part of me doesn’t even want to go back. I don’t want to deal with Poseidon and his feud with Ares. I was forced into becoming the Key of Atlantis when I had no desire to be the Key. I followed the path laid before me and did not put up an adequate fight. My body may have been strong, but my mind was weak. The moment I grew the backbone I needed was when my men were threatened. I like to think I would have done the same for anyone threatened, but I am not sure if I would have.

  Now swimming right on Morgan’s tail, we begin our descent into a gorge within the ocean. The water darkens where light can no longer penetrate its depths. Not long after, a purple glow comes into view. It is a city built into the dark abyss of a gorge. Unlike Atlantis, none of the light from the sun can reach it or be amplified.

  The dome stretches across the gorge, keeping air in and water out. We are swimming atop the roof. I see an endless view of homes and streets. There is no sign of vegetation other than the glowing coral that lines the streets and doorways.

  “Incredible. How can they live with no light?” Curiosity has me filled to the brim with questions.

  “No one lives here long term. It is a station of sorts. Where crews like ours are often stationed,” Aden explains.

  I vaguely remember learning about Triton’s cities and stations in school. It wasn’t my primary focus because my world revolved around my home in Atlantis. Most of that was my mother’s doing. I was so complacent, just like when I lived as a land dweller. I knew my life was missing something, but I had no urge to fight for it at the time. Now I am angry with myself. What was wrong with me? How could I have been so dumb?

  “You weren’t dumb. You were young; now you are seeing your life from an outside view. You are still you, but reborn as an outsider looking in.”

  “I don’t think I like how you can hear some of my thoughts in the water,” I counter Aden.

  “Then stop thinking so loudly,” the glow of his eyes twinkle, and I hear a murmur of agreement from the others.

  I roll my glowing eyes as we approach a gate on the floor of the gorge. It is glowing white and green. A merman stands on the outside. He pulls a lever as we approach, opening an invisible door.

  We enter with the water. As soon as we were all in, the door slams shut behind us. A moment of panic fills me as the water begins to drain. I thrash around until Morgan places his hands upon my shoulder to steady me and my nerves. As the last of the water drains, we all shift into our human form. The room smells moist and moldy.

  Apparently, my face expresses my displeasure because Laki bursts out laughing, “What, you don’t like the smell, princess?”

  “Who would?” I snap back.

  “Nothing like the smell of decaying sea life on the ocean floor when it comes into contact with oxygen.” Aden smiles while taking a breath, appearing very much the naked smarty pants he is.

  I follow all four men through another door into a clothing chamber full of generic togas of various colors. I turn my attention away from their impressive backsides and don a deep-burgundy toga, pulling my wet hair over my shoulder and braiding it. The men all choose black to match the dark scenery.

  “No one will be able to see you down here dressed in black,” I observe.

  “Like burgundy is much better,” Breck responds, and I shrug, knowing he is right.

  “It is not as dark as it seems once we get in to the city. There are lights everywh
ere,” Aden explains.

  “Yeah like at a rave in a club on land,” I retort.

  They all turn to look at me wide-eyed. “What do you know of raves?” Morgan asks, truly interested if I know anything.

  “They listen to bump-bump music and do drugs called ecstasy or acid. I don’t really know how I know that, but I am assuming I have either been to one, or I read about it.”

  Laki laughs again, “Bump-bump music. You are adorable.”

  Offended he is laughing at me, I pull my knife free from my waist and hold it to Laki’s throat, “Am I funny now?” He stares at me, challenging me with a handsome smile. I sigh,“You are infuriatingly handsome. I can’t even be mad at you.”

  I put my knife away as Laki winks at me, “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

  Unable to resist, I smile in return, while Morgan decides to chastise us “If you are done flirting, maybe we can go get a bite to eat before Triton calls us to his home.”

  “Fine if you insist, I would love some food with a side of Laki.” Laki chuckles under his breath. If the lighting was better, I’d have put money he was blushing.

  I am getting more comfortable with the fact that I need blood to survive. Since my memory returned everything seems natural now, and Laki looks tasty. My mouth is watering with the thought of a drink. That long of a swim really took it out of me, and if I don’t feed soon, I will be asleep or raving mad with hunger. No idea which way it will go, both are possible.

  We walk down the street with various businesses built into the stone walls. The ground is paved with a luminescent green stone. It is truly an entirely different world. I follow Morgan into a tavern. They are all over Atlantis. Places where you can buy a drink, food, and a room for the night, if needed.

  The most surprising part of it all is, once we are inside there is electricity. Light bulbs buzz with energy overhead, and my mouth drops wide in wonder, even Atlantis doesn’t have electricity like this.