Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 10

he had to turn away. Focusing on preparing a cool cloth for Kyle's face gave him a moment to get his overactive libido under control. It didn't matter how many times he made love to Kyle, it was always the same, and always would be, until the day he drew his last breath. Now, how could he explain to his husband of over two and a half years that he was a merman, his father was a member of the royal court, and since Damian had found his Adelfi Psychi , it gave Damian the right to join that court as well and take over his father's duties? Oh, and Kyle's life could be in danger, since his older brother still hadn't found his own mate, and wouldn't be too pleased by being replaced as next in line.
    He settled on his knees next to Kyle and wiped his love's face gently. "I'm sorry I completely fucked that up, baby," he whispered, handing him a capful of mouthwash. "Please, I beg you. Let me explain."
    After rinsing his mouth and spitting into the toilet, Kyle gave him a narrow-eyed stare. "You have two minutes before I gather enough strength to stand up and slug you."
    Kyle's muttered words made him smile faintly. That was his baby, strong, levelheaded, slow to anger, and wonderfully passionate once he made up his mind about something. Relief filled Damian that Kyle didn't stop him from continuing his soothing ministrations. He needed to touch his mate right now, mostly to assure himself that he hadn't fled. But would Kyle do just that once he heard Damian's explanation? He prayed he wouldn't.
    Knowing he had a lot of information to share, he started with Kyle's earlier questions. "I love you more than my own life, which is one of the reasons I didn't tell you this before," he admitted.
    Kyle cracked an eyelid open, looking at him with a clear expression of disbelief.
    Damian held up his free hand. "I'll come back to that," he promised. "I don't have a wife. I don't have kids. My family didn't kick me out because I'm gay. Most of us are all pretty much bisexual, although we often have a preference."
    "Us?" Kyle whispered. "You mean your brothers and sisters?"
    Damian shook his head. Taking the plunge, he replied, "No. I mean my race. My kind." He sucked in a breath at Kyle's lifted brows. Letting out a sigh, he dropped the first bombshell. "Kyle, I'm not human. I'm a Briny Nix, a water spirit. What you'd call a merman," he added, elaborating when Kyle's disbelieving look turned to confusion.
    Kyle barked out a surprised laugh, his entire expression one of disbelief and shock. "I'm sorry. What?"
    "I can prove it, Kyle," he replied.
    His lover waved a hand in front of him, and Damian rocked back on his heels. Even though it was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do, grab onto his mate and never let go, he gave Kyle the space he knew his husband asked for.
    Kyle rose and headed into the bedroom without a word. He pulled a suitcase from the closet and started piling clothes into it. He watched his husband for several seconds, disbelief rocking his system, before Damian gasped, ran to the bed, and tried to wrestle the bag away from Kyle.
    "What are you doing?" he squawked, hardly recognizing his own panicked voice.
    "If you wanted to move on, you should have just told me. You didn't have to make up wild stories," Kyle roared, glaring angrily, although Damian could see the hurt and pain in the man's brown eyes. "I would think you should at least have enough respect for me to give me that much."
    "I'm not lying! Not this time!" Damian added. "I'm really not human. You can't leave me, damn it. You're my Adelfi Psychi . My soul mate," he cried, his heart breaking into a million pieces when he realized Kyle was ignoring his words.
    Hearing a throat clearing, he glanced over his shoulder to see Darius standing in the bedroom doorway. "Show him."
    "Shit, I didn't want to do it this way," Damian whispered, but as he watched Kyle close the suitcase, he realized he had no choice.
    Using the increased strength he'd always kept in check around his human mate, Damian grabbed Kyle's shoulder and spun him around to face him. Then he forced the struggling man back a few steps until his back was pinned against the wall. He allowed his hands to shift into the claws he used to fight other mermen and sliced them into the plaster and wood wall next to Kyle's head. He'd never actually hurt his mate, but he needed to make a point.
    Kyle's eyes widened in shock, his focus fixed on Damian's clawed hand six inches from his face. "Holy shit."
    "Yes,"