Under a Blood Moon (Beaux Rêve Coven 2)

Renner and Miren glanced over the side to watch as Elias’s body shimmered. A moment later, he surfaced with a long green and blue tail, which he flapped at the water. “Join us for a swim.”

Miren glanced at Renner. “That’s disturbing.”

Renner laughed. “I don’t need the snorkel. I can breathe the water.”

“Right.” She shook her head. “Do you change?”

“Do you want me to?”

“You are a draugr. And I’m marrying you tonight, so you have to make me happy. I’d love to ride a dolphin.”

With a laugh, he dropped his shorts on the deck and stepped off the back of the boat. The moment he submerged, he closed his eyes, and envisioned himself a dolphin. When he swam back to the surface, he glided onto his side to wink at her with his dolphin eye.

The look on her face was well worth the effort. With her snorkel in place and her flippers making her walk clumsily to the edge, she looked blissful as she stepped off.

As promised, he held still as she mounted him just behind his dorsal, and then he nosed around, flipped his tail, and they were off.

For Miren, it was a magical day. She skimmed the sea atop a dolphin and then snorkeled lazily, watching her three lovers play in the depths. The mermen were somehow no less masculine, no less impressive, their lower bodies a study in rippling muscle cloaked in tiny iridescent scales that caught the sunlight streaming through the water, glinting blue then green, even purple. Truly beautiful.

She grew anxious as they lingered beneath the water before she reminded herself they didn’t need to surface, that they were as at home in the sea as they were on land. More connected than even she was.

Well into the late afternoon, after feasting on a shrimp chowder she heated over a hot plate, they all sat on the edge of the platform at the rear of the boat, their feet dangling in the water, the four of them completely nude and completely relaxed about it.

“I could get used to this,” Mikkel said, echoing her thoughts.

Elias caught Renner’s gaze and nodded. “It’s not a bad idea.”

“What’s not a bad idea?” Miren said, knowing the men were already making plans and not including her. “Are you all planning to crew on a permanent basis?”

“Those two, perhaps,” Renner said. “But I’m a construction chief. I’ll still be needed at Vindlér.”

Miren nodded, a little disappointed at his answer, but he was right. When the building was complete, they’d be busy moving equipment and office furniture, then seeking more jobs to pay for the expensive relocation—jobs that might take him away from home for extended periods.

Still, she smiled at the thought of more lazy days like these.

Renner leaned back with his weight braced on his arms. “We haven’t talked about tonight.”

“And I don’t want to. Bryn is seeing to the arrangements, gathering what we need.”

He turned his head, squinting his eyes at the lowering sun. “You’re sure you don’t want to be married in Bonne Nuit by the priest?”

“Bryn and Ethan wanted that for their children. We can always apply for a license and take care of the formalities later, but our wedding tonight will be the one I want.” She angled her head toward him. “If you don’t mind…”

Renner shook his head. “I don’t mind.” As would always be, he’d give her whatever she wanted. He liked the idea of a natural setting, just their friends and the moon as witnesses. He just wasn’t all that comfortable knowing everyone would be present for the fireworks after the ceremony.

Mikkel chuckled. “You do know everyone will be scoring your technique.”

“You swim naked today so your ass wouldn’t glow like the moon?” Elias said.

Both mermen wiped their expressions free of mirth when Miren gave them a frown. “That’s okay. Get it out now. If you two act like children during the ceremony…”

Renner wished all the talk of the coming festivities would stop. Already his cock was stirring.

But Mikkel solved that problem. “Miren, do you want to tell us about your dragon? Why didn’t you want to marry him?”

Renner didn’t like the way the light faded from her eyes. Her expression grew bleak. But he wanted to know as we

ll. He’d heard the sanitized version—witch’s fleeing enslavement, but she’d never offered more.