STORY EXCERPT

A few seconds later, the petals disappeared. The next thing he noticed was the bright sky and a sea of colorful flowers sprouting high and alive in a wide field.

Edwin slung one arm around his shoulders. “It’s a maze.”

“Yeah. I can see that, too. How are we—” Drake gasped. “Is that…”

He was flabbergasted at the sight of a silver chariot with intricate designs of various sea creatures all over it, but he was even more astonished by the lone unicorn that was pulling the vehicle.

“Go on, sweetheart. The unicorn will welcome you. You’re both pure and clean.”

He turned toward Edwin. “What about you?”

“I can’t. Unicorns won’t have anything to do with non-virgins.” Then, Edwin smirked. “You can have a short moment with that one-horned horse. I promise I won’t be jealous. Much.”

Drake chortled. “You’re acting silly, but you’re also sweet and amazing. Thank you.”

Edwin nodded. “You’re welcome. Now, go ahead before I change my mind.”

Drake threw his boyfriend one more delighted smile before stepping closer to the unicorn. He stopped about three feet away from the majestic creature and gazed into the unicorn’s eyes before bowing his upper body. When he straightened up, he was elated that the unicorn accepted him by closing in and bumping against his cheek gently with its horn. He rubbed the unicorn’s horn before kissing its muzzle with his nose. He caressed the unicorn’s forehead and poll before moving lower to its crest, withers, and back. Then, he embraced the unicorn for a minute or so before relinquishing his hold and bowing for the second time to thank the magnificent creature for indulging him. After that, he made his way back to Edwin.

“That was awesome. What’s next?”

Edwin reached for his right hand and led him to the chariot, keeping a wide berth away from the unicorn. “The unicorn will bring us to our destination.”

Drake knew of his beauty even though he wasn’t narcissistic about it. He remembered being teased by his friends, some of the other merpeople in the sea, about how pretty he was. They even called him “princess” just to get a rise out of him. That was the reason why he loathed most of those stupid fairy tales that the humans were obsessed over. However, he didn’t mind Edwin treating him like the most precious treasure in the world. His boyfriend held his hand to steady him as he climbed onto the chariot before getting up himself.

Once the two of them were safely seated inside the chariot, Drake peeked out through the glass window. “I don’t know where we are, but this place is incredible.”

“This is a whole other dimension. Rose is a fairy. She specializes in creating custom dates for lovers.”

“Awesome.”

Drake watched in amazement as the chariot rushed through the maze of beautiful flowers. The trip lasted for a while, but it felt too short for him. He was enjoying himself so much he wished it could go on forever.

“We’re here, sweetheart.”

He waited for Edwin to alight before stepping down himself. It was a small meadow with several kinds of roses growing all around it. The sky wasn’t as bright as before, but there was enough light. Then, he gasped. There were floating fairy lights all over. A small table was set in the center of the meadow. There was some food on the table along with a chilled bottle of wine. He was touched that Edwin went to such an extent to impress him. However, he was even more astonished when Edwin poured some of the wine into his glass after they were seated across from each other. The bubbles and blue liquid were familiar. He felt the tears welling up in his eyes.

“Is this…” He trailed off. This wine must have cost a fortune. “Wow…”

He observed as Edwin rubbed the back of his head in the most adorable manner. “Rose promised to get us a bottle of the most exquisite Deep Sea Wine. I hope you’ll like it.”

Drake couldn’t speak. The tears were threatening to flow down his cheeks. Instead, he raised his wine glass and waited for Edwin to do the same before sipping on the wine. The burst of rich flavors assaulted his senses. It was sweet and intoxicating, but it was also simultaneously a little salty and sour. There was a smokiness to it that reminded him of home.

“This…this wine is beyond compare.”

“So are you, sweetheart.”

Drake blushed and chuckled at the same time. “Slick.”

“Simply stating the fact.”

He laughed. “Stop it. I’m all warm and embarrassed now.”

“I can never compliment you enough. You’ll never understand how lucky I felt when you agreed to go out with me that first time around.”

He glanced down at his wine glass on the table. “Yeah?”

Edwin nodded. “The more I get to know you, the more I like you.”

Drake cleared his throat before glancing toward Edwin. “I…I feel the same way about you.”

Edwin beamed in an obvious excitement. “Fantastic. I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Drake knew what sex entailed. He was a virgin, not uninformed. He understood the mechanics. Well, sort of. After existing for almost two hundred years, he’d heard enough from some of his mated fellow merpeople to have a broad picture of what sex was like. At least inside his head. He also pleasured himself enough to kind of have an idea of how wonderful sex with someone else could possibly be. However, he wasn’t prepared for sex with Edwin.

He expected the sex to start hot and heavy once they lost their shirts. He didn’t know why he imagined it like that. He simply did. However, Edwin kissed him with such reverence and tenderness he was left wanting more. Not that he had a clue about what he yearned for. He was also at a loss as to what he was supposed to do with his hands while Edwin was peppering both rough and gentle kisses along his collarbones. He was certain there would be bruising and markings the next time he checked his reflection in the mirror.

Tentatively, he raised his hands and placed them at the back of Edwin’s head. He craved tightening his grip, but he was frightened of hurting his future mate. In the end, he could only caress Edwin’s hair. Once in a while, he would run his hands over Edwin’s ears and neck. He trembled a little when he rubbed his palms against the warmth of Edwin’s shoulders and back. He couldn’t believe he was given free rein in such a manner. He could touch Edwin without worrying about the upcoming years because this fabulous man, who was currently sucking and licking on his right nipple, would soon become his mate and future.

“Grab my hair harder, sweetheart,” Edwin whispered in a raspy voice before moving on to suckle on his left nipple.

Drake obliged in a heartbeat. Then, he moaned and writhed on the bed at the incredible sensation that coursed through his entire being. He could feel the heat all over his entire being, both from the arousal and embarrassment about his wanton reaction at the skillful touches and licks from his lover, but he couldn’t care less about appearing desperate underneath Edwin’s intense gaze. He even lifted his hips before reaching down to assist Edwin to pull down his pants and trunks. He wondered if he looked nice enough in his lover’s eyes now that he was naked while he waited for Edwin to remove his remaining clothes, as well.

His lips felt dry after he caught the sight of Edwin’s leaking dick mere moments later. It seemed massive. Or maybe his dick was too small. He honestly had no idea. It wasn’t as if he swam or walked around checking out other men’s erections. He must have stared at Edwin’s hard cock for far too long because his lover startled him by leaning over and kissing him to within an inch of his life. The kiss was gentle and sweet, and he could sense his desire burning even brighter than before. He whined in dissatisfaction when Edwin pulled away from him.

“Ed—”

“Don’t look at me that way, sweetheart. You’re driving me crazy.”

“Sorry. I just…I mean, I’ve never seen another erect dick aside from my own.”

Edwin gave him a soft smile. “I should be the one apologizing to you. It will probably…no, it will definitely hurt when I push it inside your ass later. I’ll do my best to go as slow as I can. My dick is way larger than most men, though. I’m sorry, sweetheart. You’ll just have to bear with the pain for a little while.”

Drake shook his head in a hurry. “It’s…it’s fine. I…I can take it.”

Edwin gazed at him without uttering a single word for several seconds. “You’re terrified.”

He couldn’t deny the truth. “I am, but I trust you.”

Edwin beamed at him. “I trust you, too. Just lie down and let me taste every inch of you.”

Drake expected Edwin to return to his nipples, but his lover surprised him by nuzzling into his right armpit and licking it. He couldn’t stop the giggle that came out of his mouth. It was both ticklish and pleasurable at the same time. He had the same reaction when Edwin moved on to the other side. When Edwin moved lower down his body, he thought he would finally know what it felt like to get his dick sucked, but his lover astounded him by nipping and licking on his inner thighs over and over again. Then, Edwin shifted even lower all the way to his toes. He gasped in shock before groaning out loud when Edwin sucked on each toe. He never knew getting his toes inside someone’s mouth could feel so amazing.

By the time Edwin scooted up higher all the way to his aching balls, Drake was more than ready to explode. He panted and gripped the bedsheets before gritting his teeth. He wasn’t ready for Edwin to lick his balls, but the sensation was beyond compare, especially when his lover dragged that fantastic tongue up along the throbbing shaft of his leaking cock. He couldn’t help but cry out loud when Edwin swallowed his dick all the way to the base.