Chapter: 61.****That evening both men had returned home exhausted. Tide was lying at the bottom of the pool when both men arrived at the pool. For a moment there they panicked something was wrong but relaxed once they saw him breathing. "Tide, baby, you awake?" Alexander called and the merman opened tired eyes to acknowledge them but made no effort to come to the surface. The merman had spent the entire day thinking about his city, his home, Neptune, his mother, father, and brother, Nixie his friend, and his little merbabies from school. He wondered how Aquarial was holding up with his absence. Has Neptune taken another Tideian? What is the fate of the mermen who had betrayed him? Had they been discovered for their crime? That's very likely. Neptune would rage without his Tideian and the Festival could be held until his return. Surely, Naga must have seen into his fate and known he's still alive and if he's aware then Neptune must be aware too. He misses home. His duties?They w
Chapter: 62.****He hasn't been able to see Falcon since Tuesday last week. It's like the man had left him with all the work and had disappeared. And work was absolute hell and just about all of his energy had been spent keeping things together. It felt as though he was doing a one-man-show and no amount of coffee seemed to make any difference to his state of exhaustion. At night he wouldn't be able to sleep as his mind would remain consumed by the thoughts of Tide's and in the daytime, workloads would be piled up so much so he could fall dead from all of it.Easton had mentioned Jacob who tends to most of these things but neither Jacob nor Falcon had shown face in the company. He should have rejected to be chief secretary and to Falcon no less. He wanted to be able to at least speak with him, or see him from time to time, he must say he missed him, missed the way he was always in his way, always looking for his attention, always appearing at unwanted places, he missed that attenti
Chapter: 63.*****By seven, he had already returned to the house, showered, dressed, and departed for work with his breakfast sandwich in tow. He ate it on the way, carefully not to drop anything on himself, and bought coffee before he had reached the parking garage of Falcon Automotive. He was still sipping when he arrived at the elevator in the main lobby. He pressed his ID to the sensor, scanned his fingerprint, and stepped in to be whisked up to his respective floor.He greeted Sally and April on his way in and dropped off a box of doughnuts with two lattes for them before making his way into his office. It has become somewhat of a habit to do that for them every morning since he started there. It always seems to make them happy, and there's just something undeniably cute about women when they are happy.Before he had even had the chance to lower himself into his swivel chair, the phone on his table had gone off. He groaned, picked it up then reluctantly pressed it to his ear."D
Chapter: 64.*****The moment he had parked and retrieved his overnight bag from the passenger's seat of his truck, he climbed out and breathed, what had happened in the office that morning haunted his mind endlessly, the day was a mess and there was no Easton to talk with afterward, he had thought of calling him but remembering he could be at the meeting, he decided against it. He hasn't seen a glimpse of that stone but like Easton had said the man could have it tucked underneath those tightly fitted shirts he wore like a second skin and for him to see the stone he will have to get the man naked. Fuck!He shook his head as if attempting to rid his mind of those thoughts as he proceeded to enter the gate. First, he walked to the backyard to the pool, sitting by the edge of the pool he watched the fog dance across still waters, a constant flashes of light would spread across the pool ever so often as if it were lightning during a stormy night. Alexander kissed the ring on his finger
Chapter: 65.****He was going to kill him.Since the day he had refused the man to leave for his business trips, Matthew's life had become far more complicated than he had been anticipating. When he had mentioned certain details he left with April, he hadn't bothered to ask what it was about and now he regretted not asking. Well, here he was, two weeks later, draped over his desk with an empty tumbler in his grasp. The stress was real.During the last weeks, he had learned two things very well; for one, all adults were liars. Work was not fun. It wasn't even remotely enjoyable, especially if you happened to work for an overly demanding prick. And two, it was actually possible to be too exhausted for sleep itself. He hadn't had a proper night's sleep in nearly a week, what with all that had been going on. One; he hasn't been able to see the stone around his neck, Easton had assured him when he had asked if perhaps he had taken it off that he wouldn't do that, since the man had mentio
Chapter: 66.*****"Do you eat meat?""Yes?""We'll have two of the premium French beef and aged white cheddar over multigrain ciabatta, spinach, no lettuce, tomatoes, vegan spread, no mayo."We would?Matthew smiled at him. "You'll love it.""Coffee?" She asked."Tea, please." He'd stepped in before Alexander could catch her, and in the next moment, she was gone, leaving them to chat amongst themselves."Do you always order for your lunch dates?" Alexander could feel the annoyance bleed onto his features."Only when I'm nice." He quipped, offering one of his signature smiles."Speaking of which, I'm still not even entirely sure why I'm here. Did you need something?" Besides my foot up your ass? The last bits he had swallowed.His words must have struck a nerve because he didn't say anything for several moments, as if re-evaluating the situation. Why he bothered to say anything at all was beyond him, but he quickly followed up with, "I mean work-related. Is that why you called me out
Chapter: 67.****"Alexander.""Hm?""All of these creatures... wouldn't you say that they know their place?"Knew their place? In the domain of the sea? "Sure. I'd say that much, at least." He answered cluelessly. Foolishly."Then, would you agree that it was only right that you knew yours?"What?!"If I knew my place?" Alexander could hear the shock in his voice, his face numb, and before he could register what was happening, he was lurching forward and being spun around, back pressed up against the glass. His eyes darted about the dark space, barely illuminated by the blue light of the tanks.Everyone really had gone."While I chased and chased unceasingly you jumped right into bed with another man." He murmured."No, wait... It's more than that...""More than that?" "I...I love Tide...""And me?""I-I-"Oh, shit. He was too close, too close to his face. Alexander could see all of his handsome features in stark definition despite the lighting, from the length of his lashes to the
Chapter: 68.****"What kind of game?" Alexander demanded warily. He still believed entirely that Matthew was capable of some serious evil."We're going to pretend for the next-- ten minutes, that you belong to me."Alexander shot up, unsure if he had heard him correctly. "Belong to you?""Lie down." He ordered, and for just a moment, he tossed a glance at the window.Why did this seem familiar?Right.The dream.He had maneuvered through the house like he owned the place and had located the guest room easily, so maybe he did plant a bug and could see him otherwise how else would he have known he had shot up just now?Honestly, he wasn't sure he wanted to, but he did anyway. Didn't mean he wasn't still horribly nervous about where this conversation was about to go."Lights off."Alexander sighed. This was ridiculous. "Okay, lights are off.""Now close your eyes, and keep them that way.""They're closed." He didn't know if he could take this seriously, or he was at least trying not to.