Read Online Sea Bride- Children of the Waves by LaVerne Thompson - Free Book Online

person for each of us,
only one person that triggers our aging. That happens when we meet our mates.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    “We grow until the age of human
puberty, fourteen to sixteen, and then we remain that way. But unlike humans,
we are unable to reproduce until we begin to age again. That doesn’t happen
until we met our mates. Something, a chemical hormone, whatever, is released
into our system, kick starting the aging process again. Then we age but
continue to look no older than a human in their mid to late twenties.”
    She glanced at the adult
Xavior. He obviously found his mate. His sister continued, while Cori’s heart
cracked. “However, we don’t or can’t always tell who the person is who
triggered it, or even when exactly it was triggered.”
    “Sounds pretty clinical to me.” And sad . “What about love?” She
needed to know, did he love this unknown female? How could he?
    At this, both sisters laughed.
“The one who triggers it is the one we will love for a lifetime.”
    She shook her head. “I’m sorry
for being so dense, but just because you have a chemical reaction to someone,
doesn’t mean you automatically fall in love with that person.” But some part of
her continued to die inside, because Xavior’s destined mate was not her. Yet,
who else had he brought to test the chair? It had to be someone already here.
    “For us, yes. That is what
happens,” Xavior agreed.
    Then— oh God, he’d met
his intended, and he did love this person. Yet, he slept with her, so obviously
monogamy didn’t mean a thing to them. She needed to get out of there. She must
get away from him. Her hands trembled, but she hid it by moving them in the
water. “Oh, okay. Uh, listen, Xavior, thank you for bringing me here and
showing me all of these wonders.” She couldn’t look at him. Instead, she
glanced around, stared at his sisters and the other man beside him. The last
thing she wanted to do was burst into tears for her stupidity. But what the
hell, she was already in water. If she cried, there would be nothing to see.
Still, she blinked and swallowed, then continued to talk as if nothing was
wrong.
    They all remained quiet around
her as she paused.
    “…And I promise you have
nothing to fear from me. I won’t say a word about you or the sea people. But I
think I really should be getting back. Des will be worried and I was having a
great time on the ship. Oh, not that I’m not enjoying myself visiting this
wonderful world—but it looks like you’re going be busy and all, so
perhaps your sisters or someone can point me in the direction I need to go and
I’ll be on my way.” The words tumbled over each other, but what else could she
do? He had a mate . And it was not her. Her thoughts and
behavior were irrational, a part of her recognized that, yet the pain of his
rejection hurt like a bitch.

    “Come with me.” Xavior wrapped
her in his arms, her smaller frame trembling against him. Glancing over at his
sisters and Ballen, he murmured, “Excuse us.”
    “Highness—” Ballen began.
    “Don’t worry, we won’t go far.
To the city center.”
    “Good. About time you put
someone in that chair.”
    “Dismiss the warriors but
maintain a perimeter guard.”
    Ballen nodded, he and his
sisters would remain near the edge of King’s City.
    Xavior swam with Cori to the
heart of it. They remained silent during the short swim. There in the center,
in the middle of a coral bed, sat the chair, placed there when the world was
young to determine who would have the right to rule the inhabitants of the
waters, both the upper and lower depths, even the dark ones.
    They came to a stop before it.
    “What is this? Why—why
did you bring me here?”
    “I am ready to tell you
everything.”
    She shook her head. She’d
parted her hair in the center and wore it in two braids, one on each side of
her head. She looked adorable, young and innocent. A faint memory flashed
before him, but her sadness beat at