Mates not Partners
1179 Words
“I am leaving for the day. I am going to visit my sister, Adella and her Son. Do you want to join me?” Kai asked Talia as he entered the main pod.
“Sure, I would love to.” She stood up to follow him out the pod. He hadn’t seen her tail yet. She hoped he wouldn’t be too put off by it. Not much seemed to deter his feeling for her, she was starting to feel confident with that.
“Stop by and say Hello Nixie.” Coral chimed in from the other pod.
Talia looked up at Kai with a question in her eyes. He looked instantly irritated at her. “Maybe, if I get around to it.” He was short with her. Talia could tell something bothered him, but she just followed him out of the portal. His black tail was amazing to her with almost decorative side fins that danced in the water. He turned around curious about her tail. For merpeople tail color was a status symbol and told others where they ranked. Dull grey fins were a signal of service indicating they were the lowest on the totem pole so to speak. This is what Kai was expecting but he had already decided it didn’t matter to him. He was in love with her. He heard her slide into the water and he turned to look and he was stunned at what he saw.
She had the brightest orange tail he had ever seen. She could probably be seen for miles because it was almost glowing. He instantly dove to the bottom and brought back some weed cover and quickly swirled it around her to camouflage her. As soon as she saw him look at her she felt this wave of worry speed through her and it drifted away as he completed wrapping her up. She suspected she was feeling his feelings but didn’t say anything.
He gave a few clicks of approval and took her hand and led the way to Adella and the Orca Clan. She was just fast enough to keep up with him. He stayed close to the cliff and rocks to ensure her safety as they slid through the water.
Adella and Dover were waiting for Kai. Dover excitedly watched the portal at the base of his pod. Sander had meetings to attend to and that was fine with Adella, she was looking forward to her time with her brother. He’s a pest but she loves him all the same. She had some kale meal as she was waiting for him.
“I see him, Mommy, I see him!” Dover exclaimed. “He has someone else with him.” This made Dover even more excited.
“What?” Adella watched them swim up to the portal and Kai came in first and then his plus one. Adella stood there with her mouth open and a million questions showing in her eyes.
Kai took Talia’s hand. “Talia this in my sister and leader of the Orca Clan Adella. Adella, this is Talia who is my chosen partner for life.” Kai was looking right at Talia with a glint in his eye as he brought her hand up to kiss it. Talia started blushing fiercely but smiled back. She was brave if she was nothing else.
“Wait. What? Who? How?” Adella was almost stuttering her eyes looking quickly from Kai to Talia her mouth gapping open.
Kai proceeded to tell her about meeting Talia, the subsequent talk with Dad and then Mom. Adella felt a bit slighted by the turn of events. She had begged and begged not to be partnered with Sander. She couldn’t find any bad qualities about him so she had to submit to the partnership. “Well, I suppose it had to change somewhere. Hopefully Dover will be able to pick his partner when it comes to his turn. You guys have to wait though, right? At least until you are 16 years old.
“We have our entire lives to be together. Waiting isn’t that big of a deal.” Kai said as Dover started climbing all over him.
The morning was filled with playtime with Dover and Kai, but also Adella getting to know Talia. She liked her but this mystery pull between the two fascinated her.
“So, you felt something when you looked at my brother, or how did you feel it?” Adella wanted to know every detail.
“I don’t know, it was so overwhelming that I passed out, only to wake up in Kai’s bed. I had never been in such a nice bed before.” She looked down shyly.
“You passed out? How do you feel now? Is it less or gone?”
“It’s the same but I am ready for it now. So I can at least function.” Talia looked over at Kai and then leaned toward Adella. “Who is Nixie?”
Adella wasn’t sure how to answer that question and she wondered how she knew about her. “She is Sanders sister.”
Talia suddenly understood why his mother wanted him to seek her out, she is his betrothed. Talia’s heart starts racing, hoping she is not showing any of her feelings. “Well, is she around? Maybe I can meet her too.” She forced a smile hoping that she was looking better than she felt.
“We will probably see her at dinner. She heard Kai was coming.” Adella paused for a moment, “You know, she’s being forced into the partnership too. You coming along might just make her whole day. In fact, I think this shift you and Kai are forging ahead with is just what we need as a community. I cried for days and days after moving here. Sander is great but he’s not ‘make me pass out overwhelming’ to my senses.” Adella’s big teal eyes laugh a little but she could see a flash of sadness in her too.
Talia felt reassured after that and took a deep breath. Kai came in the room “Everything okay?” He looks a Talia with concern. He approaches Talia and rubs her shoulders with his hands.
She nods “Yes, we were just talking about when we met.”
“Wait, you can feel her feelings?” Adella was truely astonished.
“Yes.” Kai doesn’t take his eyes off Talia.
“Wow. That’s pretty amazing.” She sat down and pulled Dover on her lap. “I hope you guys turn the tides on this pre-set partnership stuff and help people find their; what should we call you? Partners sounds too much like a business transaction.” She thought for a moment then she slowly said “Mates. Yes, mates is good word for this. An attraction you cannot deny, you are mates.”
“Mates, mates, mates” Dover starts to sing. “Are we ready to go hunting for dinner now?”
- Writer
