Hard to Get

Part 3

“Galen and I thought it best to wait until Grom became king, since it appeared your father’s mind was already made up,” Toraf continues. “I was going to ask you, I swear I was, but you missed his kingship ceremony. You and your idiot brother were walking around on land stalking wrinkly humans, remember? So I had no choice but to ask Grom by myself, without you there.”

She lays her head down on his chest. He loves having her there, but not under these circumstances. The fight has left her. And if she doesn’t have fight in her, then she isn’t truly Rayna. Maybe Grom was right. Maybe he shouldn’t have told her the truth.

“Can you forgive me, Rayna? I thought I was doing the right thing. I’ve been so stupid. It’s a wonder I can even swim straight. I’m that much of an idiot. Worse than that. I’m—”

It startles him when she snickers into his chest. With the crook of his finger he gingerly lifts her chin up to him. Her eyes are full of mischief. The unfiltered kind, the kind that means she’s genuinely amused at his expense. Out of nowhere, she bursts out laughing.

Hard. Uncontrollably. Insultingly.

He gives her a few moments. Then a few more. She’s in no danger of stopping to catch her breath.

Toraf clears his throat. She holds up his hand, gesturing for him to give her another moment to compose herself. She takes several more moments to compose herself. Schools of fish dart around them, giving them a wide berth. The cruise ship is long gone. Even the trail of its wake is dissipating on the surface.

He knows this is a good sign. He hopes this is a good sign.

Finally, she stops guffawing. The familiar surge of What now? rushes through Toraf. Which he loves.

“So let me get this straight,” she says, suppressing a giggle. “You sealed yourself to me without my permission to stop my father from sealing me to someone else without my permission?”

“Well, when you put it like that...Um. It’s just that it sounded a lot more romantic and worthy in my head…But yeah. That’s what I did. More or less.”

She throws herself at him and his first instinct is to protect all the important, vulnerable  parts a Syrena male has to offer. But her intent is not to hurt him. Instead of twisting his neck into a knot, she uses it to pull him down for what has to be the best kiss in the history of all Syrena.

“I have a secret to tell you too,” she whispers. He appreciates the fact that her tone is not so much amused as it is full of hunger. Hunger for him.

Still, Toraf’s not sure how many more secrets he can take. “Out with it,” he says, nuzzling her ear. Her instant shiver is just to his liking.

“Kumen wasn’t asking Father to seal me to him. If you or my boneheaded brother had half a brain, you would’ve looked further into it.”

Obviously she’s still in denial. But he vows to himself to be patient for as long as it takes. He owes her that much. More than that, he loves her that much. “I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Even Grom agreed with us when we told him about it.”

“If you would have looked further into it, you would have discovered that Kumen was asking my father for permission to mentor me. To train me to become an Archive. You think that floating corpse would have the guts to mate with me? Have you lost your mind? And if Grom agreed with you, that was clever on his part. He knew of Kumen’s interest in me. He just let you believe otherwise. Not sure if you noticed, but Grom doesn’t like me very much.”

That’s true enough. But would he really have steered him so wrong? Toraf is doubtful. “But Rayna, you’ve never demonstrated Archive aptitude. And why would Kumen want you to live in the Cave of Memories?”

She rolls her eyes. “Clearly Kumen thinks I do have the ability to be an Archive. You’re always saying I never forget anything.”

“I just meant that you’re an exceptional grudge holder.”

“Well, grudges are my specialty. But I can remember lots of other things too.”

He can’t deny this. She remembers each and every human treasure she collects. Things she should have forgotten seasons ago. And during fights, she can quote him word for word what’s he’s promised her and failed to do. He knew it was a skill—he just didn’t realize it was a genuine aptitude.

Now Toraf feels heat rush away from his limbs and into his face. He wonders if this is how Emma feels when she blushes. Thankfully Toraf’s skin is too thick to reveal the blood pooling in his cheeks. He can keep his mortification somewhat private. “So. So…I did take your freedom,” he says finally. “For nothing.”

“Yes. You did,” she says sternly.

He pulls away from her. “I’ll go talk to Grom. Have him unseal us. Possibly relieve him of a tooth or two, if no one’s around. But I’ll make it right, Rayna. You’ll see.”

Before he can turn to leave she has hold of his arm again. Push and pull, he thinks to himself. Welcome to life with Rayna.

“I swear by Triton’s trident,” she says through clenched teeth, “If you unseal us I’ll never talk to you again.”

He stiffens. “I…I know that we’ve already covered that I’m an idiot. But…I don’t understand what you want me to do here. At all.”

She scoffs. “Let’s say you and Galen didn’t have the intellect of a clam. And let’s say you hadn’t felt forced to do what you did…You eventually would have asked me to be your mate, right?”

“Rayna. I already asked you hundreds of times before, remember. Are…Are you sure you’re meant to be an Archive? Not everyone has the memory—”_

“Yes, yes,” she waves her hand dismissively, “But you would have kept asking me until I said yes, right?”

She’s leading up to something. He can feel it. He grins. “Of course I would. What kind of question is that?”

“So if you would have kept asking, and I eventually would have said yes—and I really would have Toraf, I was so close already I promise—then why don’t we pretend that’s what happened, and just stay sealed to each other?”

Is this really happening? Is he finally getting what he’s always wanted? “You want to stay sealed to me? Even after everything I did?”

She takes his face between her hands and smiles. There is no mistaking the affection in her eyes. And there is no mistaking the warmth radiating through him. “Especially after everything you did.” She leans in to brush her lips against his, but stops herself. Tantrum lurks beneath her newly formed pout. “Except the part where you kissed Emma. If you ever put your lips on anyone else again—”

But he cuts her off—by putting his lips on hers.

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Author's note: I hope you are enjoying reading Hard to Get! If you love these characters, you'll love the characters in my upcoming novel, Joyride, just as much! Start reading it on Wattpad now at wattpad.com/story/31229577-joyride and pre-order your copy today at macteenbooks.com/joyride.