The next day Truly sits at her grandmother's breakfast bar, helping prepare lunch by peeling oranges. The fresh, clean scent of citrus fills the air.

"So, I take it the change went well?" Rossi glances over at her granddaughter while she throws the fish in the oven.

A shrug of Truly's shoulders causes a frown to cross Rossi's face.

When Truly notices the concerned look on Rossi's face, she lets out a sigh. "He doesn't have any abnormalities, which I was concerned about. But he's not handling the change well. T'e switches are still hard for him. Sometimes he passes out from ta pain."

"It takes gettin' used to. Ye've been doin' it for nineteen years, luv. It'll get betta." Rossi's eyes flick to Coco, who's sitting next to her mom snapping peas. The little monkey's face scrunches up with each snap in her effort to get the peas to break.

"It's not jist t'at." Truly frowns. "I can tell he gets frustrated. We have different tastes, hearin', sight, and smellin'. I can tell it's overwhelmin' for him." When Truly finishes with her oranges, she sets them on the tray and grabs the peas from Coco.

The little monkey squawks and bats at her mom for stealing her task and doesn't settle until Truly moves the bowl in between them so that they both can work. Truly shakes her head at the tiny monkey and returns to snapping open the peas. "I t'ink Kade regrets changin'."

"Probably." Rossi leans against the counter. "But only cause he's not use ta it yet. If ye were suddenly human, I doubt ye'd like it at first, but once ye got used to it ye'd see ta benefits."

"And if he doesn't?" Truly raises a brow to her as she snaps the peas and dumps them into a bowl.

"Ye warned him t'at t'ere was no turnin' back, aye?"

Truly nods. She wouldn't have let him walk into this life without warning him the best she could.

"T'en he can hardly blame ye for it, and he did t'is ta be with ye. T'at desire hasn't changed. If it had, he wouldn't be out with ye granddah right now learnin' how ta swim like a man." Rossi's lip curls up as she quotes her husband.

A grunt escapes Truly's lips, finding her method of teaching just fine, even if her granddah was horrified when he'd first seen Kade swim.

"So." Rossi's brows wiggle. "What's he look like?"

Truly instantly turns red, knowing exactly what her grandmother's implying. "He's gorgeous, Nan." Her voice turns admiring as she thinks about Kade in his siren form. "Ta spikes on his fins are really long, longer t'an ta webbin' between t'em, and the webbin' is t'is brilliant red t'at fades ta yellow." She lets out a little sigh as her gaze turns dreamy. "T'en his caudal is black as pitch, but it has t'is iridescent shine ta it."

Rossi raises a surprised brow, knowing that's rare. So rare, in fact, that it's almost unheard of. "Aye? Like yers?"

Truly nods. "Aye, but lovelier. It's dark, more rainbow colored, not ta borin' pastel rainbow mine is."

"Yer tail is hardly bornin' child, and ye know it." Rossi shoots her a scathing look. "Ye've had plenty of young men glowin' for ye ta try to catch ye eye."

"Trust me, Nan, all ta girls would have been tryin' ta sing ta him if he grew up here in Barkholm." A pea pod snaps in Truly's hands as she dreamily thinks about her husband's siren form. "I would find meself jist starin' at him sometimes. I t'ink he t'ought I was jist watchin' ta critique his swimmin', but I'd lose track of me t'oughts. I have neva seen a sire male as gorgeous as he is."

Rossi breaks out into a laugh. "Well, maybe me hopes for a great-grand babe isn't too far off t'en. I'll have ta ask ta boy ta stay in his siren state until he gets a wee one in ye."

"Oh, Nan!" Truly shoots her grandmother a glare as she tosses the last of her peas into a bowl. "Ye won't give up will ye?!"

Having heard most of their conversation from just outside the kitchen, Kade slips in, earning a knowing look from Rossi as he slides up behind Truly. "They can sing all they want. The only songs I want to hear are yours," he breathes against her ear before he leans in and inhales her smell. A habit he's started doing far more frequently since he turned.

Truly jumps at his sudden presence and jerks her head around to look at him. Her neck and cheeks turn a deep shade of red. "How much did you hear?!"

"All of it," her grandfather calls out from the patio, making her blush deepen.

"So you like me coloring and spikes huh?" He teases, placing a small kiss against her neck as he breathes her in again, unable to get enough of the way she smells.

Truly groans. "Ye'll neva let me live t'is down, will ye?"

A grin crosses Kade's lips. "I think yer confusing me for your black-hearted daddy. That man would never let either of us live it down. Ye called me gorgeous."

"Well, I guess t'at word is fittin' since ye swim like a girl." Truly glares at the sliding screen door that leads out to the patio.

"He don't now," her grandfather calls back. "I rectified t'at."

"He also taught me a few other things you failed to mention, omen."

"Oh, aye?" Truly raises a brow as she turns in her chair to face him. "What exactly did I miss?"

"Social etiquette, warning calls." He steps into the space between her legs as his fingers lift to tangle in her hair. "Visual clues and how I should respond." The corner of his lip curls. "And a few other things. If yer lucky, I'll show ye later."

On the other side of the counter, Rossi snorts, catching what he means by that. "By all means, lad, go show her now."

"Nan, let it go." Truly casts her a glare. Ye have seven great-grandsons with one on ta way. Why is t'at not enough?"

"Cause she wants a girl, and she doesn't want ta try to end up with something worse than her youngest." His eyes flick up to Rossi as he gives her a playful wink that shows he has no qualms with Angus.

"You hush, t'at excuse is jist a ploy of hers. She doesn't care about ta genders, she jist says that ta guilt us inta havin' more. Besides, ye don't want ta have kids now, anyway. Did I forget ta mention t'at sirens are like seahorses?" Truly pats his abs. "Hate for ye ta lose yer figure."

Kade scoffs. "If that was true, I'd need this." He taps her inner bicep, pressing lightly on her birth control implant, "and not you."

"What? What's t'at? What's t'ere?" Rossi's eyes narrow on Truly's arm.

Truly slowly pulls her arm toward herself, hiding the implant. "Not'in'."

"Ye little sneak. Ye sabotaged yeself with one of t'ose new fangled t'ings, haven't ye?" Rossi reaches over the counter and grabs Truly's arm before feeling around her bicep. When she feels the hard bar, she gives her granddaughter a small, unamused glare. "I'm gonna tell ye mum, and his mum. We'll guilt ye inta a babe yet."

"Traitor." Truly playfully hisses to Kade.

Kade raises a brow. "I merely corrected yer view Sirens are seahorses. You'd think being nineteen years old and born one, you'd know better." A playful grin crosses his lips. "I haven't even been one for a week, and I know that." His grin grows.

"Don't even know why ye need one." Rossi mutters to herself as she pulls the fish from the oven. "Sirens know when ta refrain when t'ey don't want a babe."

"Aye," Truly pushes Kade back just enough so that she can stand up. "And t'at worked out so well for mum, didn't it?"

"It did." Rossi sets the pan on the counter and starts dishes out the fish onto the plate in front of her. "It got ye here."

"Aye, but until recently, me husband was human." Truly finds the new information that humans don't have as good of sense as sirens interesting. "Did ye know t'at humans can't even tell when t'ere partners are ovulation'?"

Rossi's brows raise. "Really? Ye can't... or couldn't?"

Kade softly sighs as his hand goes to her hip, having had Truly reaffirm more than once he was sure. "I couldn't say. I've only been one for a few days. Our senses aren't anything like yers though. Not even a bloody tenth of it. Deadman's Cay used ta be peaceful. Well, relatively, the monkeys could get loud, but the sea was always quiet." I really miss that. "Turning half blood was shocking enough, and it barely holds a candle ta the way things are now. Nothing's tasted the same since I took the pearls."

"Intrestin'." Rossi looks at Truly, noticing that her smile has faltered.

Truly's chest tightens when he still groups himself with the humans and seems to be displeased with the outcome of becoming a siren.

To ease her granddaughter's concerns, Rossi points out, "Ye seem ta be enjoyin' ye new sense of smell t'ough." Her lip slightly curls up. "Since ye keep sniffin' me granddaughta."

Caught doing it again, Kade pulls back and shrugs. "I've always liked her shampoo and the way it makes her smell. Now I can just identify each fragrance better. Especially when she's just washed her hair." Unable to resist, he briefly nuzzles her neck, his voice dropping to just a whisper, not that her Nan can't still hear it. "Did ye get jasmine soap while I was out? Ye smell even more divine than this morning."

Truly shakes her head no since it's not her shampoo or soap he's smelling.

"T'at shampoo is goin' ta start smellin' a lot betta in a day or two." Rossi giggles, knowing that Truly's pheromones are heightening and the boys yet to put two and two together.

"Nan!" Truly's cheeks brighten.

"What? Like I don't remember ye cycle. Ta whole bloody family had ta keep track of it ta keep t'ose males away from ye." Rossi tsks. "T'em scallywags t'inkin' if t'ey put a babe in ye means t'at t'ey get ye."

"What?!" Kade's voice drops to more of a deep growl that in the water would be taken as a warning as his head snaps up. Not a fucking chance in hell. She's mine. His hand tightens on Truly's hip.

"Yer meddlin' for yer own benefit, woman!" Orison yells from the patio, knowing full well what his wife is up to, though she isn't lying.

"Well, it's still true. Why do ye t'ink her daddy, brothas, and cousins are so protective of her?" Rossi slides two plates over to Truly for her to take them to the outside table. "She's a desirable young lass t'at several are hopin' ta get her head ta turn t'eir way, and down t'ere," Rossi nods toward the underwater city. "A good way of ensurin' t'at ye keep ta girl in gettin' yer babe in her."

"Were, t'ey were tryin' ta get me attention. I'm married now." Truly corrects, as she picks the plates up and steps around Kade to follow her grandmother outside.

Rossi picks up the other two plates and gives Truly a look, telling her that Truly knows good and well that marriage laws under the water are different from land.

Kade's eyes narrow as he follows closely behind. "What aren't you two telling me? I saw the look yer Nan gave ye, Treasure. Don't tell me it's nothing."

"Unda ta water, partners aren't permanent, necessarily. And ta males know it in ta sense if t'ey want a girl t'ey'll try ta get her... attention, whether or not she's married."

As he follows her outside to the table, Kade tilts his head and narrows his eyes, knowing something's not right, and it sets his new siren nature on edge. "How's that any different from Atlantis? We broke handfastings all the time. Some are bound to more than one."

"Cause unda ta water, ye get one at a time, for starters." Orison answers for him as he pours two glasses of wine for his wife and himself. "And jist cause yer married doesn't mean t'ey won't try ta take ye wife, even right in front of ye. I haven't had t'at happen on land."

"Because we respect binding oaths. The covenant wouldn't hold without it." Kade snaps, his Brovern temper flaring thanks to the male siren's territorial nature that's now flowing through him.

"Ta land sirens respect it as well." Orison tells him. "We were ta first ta enter inta hand fastin', but down t'ere claimin' what's yer is common, and most do t'at by-"

"T'at enough of t'at." Truly shoots both of her grandparents a small glare as she fills her plate with fruits and vegetables.

"Let him finish," Kade coolly demands, as his irritation radiates off him, even though it has no target.

"By keepin' t'ere mate bred." Orison finishes. "But ta be fair, t'at's not how we," he gestures around the table. "View hand fastin's. We take ta mainland's view."

And if I'd never bloody turned, then what? She'd have gone down and been stolen from me, and I wouldn't have even known!? Being told that would've been bloody helpful when I was making me choice. "Can I be excused ta eat later? I need ta take a walk." If he stays, he might do or say something he'll regret.

"Aye." Orison nods as he casts his wife a scathing look, knowing she stirred up this trouble, just hoping Kade will follow the Barkholm pod's way.

Hopping to his feet, Kade puts his ear pods in, something he's done of late to drone out the sound as he walks down the path, releasing a low whistle that summons both the dogs after him.

Not long after Kade leaves, a huge fight between the two ladies ensues, neither giving way to their opinions. Orison finally drags his wife away to Sullsool, the city underwater. Truly patiently waits for Kade at her grandparents' house, giving him the space he needs to think.

Roughly an hour later, Navi announces Kade's return as he comes bounding up to the screen door, begging to be let in.

With Coco on her shoulder, Truly pushes past Navi, locking the door behind her. At the sight of her, Kade removes his earbuds, his gaze shifting to the door and the lack of noise inside. "You're the only one here?" Shit, I stayed out too long. A bit of guilt fills him, knowing he must have worried her.

"Aye." Truly shifts the plate she wrapped up for him in her hands so that she can pet both dogs. "Granddah took Nan out for a bit."

Shoving his earbuds in his pocket, Kade nods. "I'm sorry if I ruined dinner." He shifts where he stands. "My temper's not normally so easy to trigger." I haven't been this bad since I was fourteen, and my father... He quickly shoves the thought away, not wanting to think about the last two years of his childhood when his father was trying to 'fix' him.

Truly lightly smiles as she takes his hand. "You didn't ruin dinna, Nan did. And it's alright. Siren males are prone ta be territorial. Ye would have learned ta control t'at in yer early teen years, plus ye were a bit territorial presiren. If ye would have stayed around, t'ough, Granddah and I would have explained betta." She guides him off the porch and towards the temple house. "I realized afta ye left t'at it sounds like a male down t'ere can jist have his way with me, t'en claim me as his."

A light growl of irritation rumbles from his chest as his muscles briefly ripple at the idea. The idea of laying into the damn city with his cannons instantly comes to mind, but the bloody things in the deep. "And the rest of the world calls us uncivilized." His eyes flick to her. "It's outright barbaric, even in the eyes of the great fleet's commodores."

"T'at's not how it is. I would have to consent to it. Ye can't jist force yeself on someone, and ta repercussions of doin' so are very severe. If a male were ta do t'at, he'd get kicked from ta pod. Which basically is a death sentence." Truly squeezes his hand. "No one is goin' ta take me from ye. Ye are ta first person I've eva wanted, and t'at not about ta change."

"I still don't like it." His fingers caress the side of hers. "Consent is a bloody loose term, even on Atlantis. It's the biggest thing others get on to us about." His eyes flick to her. "Were you planning on telling me it's like that down there?"

"Since we are goin' home, no. I didn't see ta point. We aren't goin' ta be livin' down t'ere so I didn't see why t'ere marriage laws mattered." She glances up at him. "I wasn't tryin' ta keep it from ye t'ough either. I didn't want to swamp ye with stuff t'at didn't even effect ye. Ye've been frustrated enough as is with all ta changes."

Kade stills, not liking the fact that his aggravation is so easily seen. "It affects me if ye go down and some bloody scallywag gets ye too shite faced to know who yer with and suddenly ye find yerself with child a few months later. Cause from the sound of it, he could claim it's his and say that ye consented and we'd be through."

"Accordin' ta down t'ere, aye." Truly turns toward him. "But t'ings would get complicated fast because of it. I can also claim t'at it wasn't consented, and who are t'ey goin' ta believe? T'at idiot t'at tried, or t'ere High Priestess?"

His jaw lightly tenses. "And if ye weren't one, or I'd stayed human? They'll always be some fool who'll say it's better and if that one's in power we'd have issues."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Truly wraps her arms around him. "I really didn't think it'd matter, and I'm not sure what to do ta make t'is betta for you. It's jist part of ta undawater culture."

Curse their bloody culture ta the deep. His hands slide around her waist. "I won't let some blaggard take ye from me, just cause he thinks he's better than me."

Truly frowns as Coco crawls down her arm and up to Kade's shoulder. "No one is goin' ta take me from ye, Kade. I don't want anyone else."

Sighing softly, Kade dips his head and rests it against hers, letting her citrus and jasmine scent soothe him and affirm she's safe and in his arms. "I know you feel the same way I do about ye. Rationally I get ye have enough power ta throw around, but..." His fingers slightly tense against her shirt. "There's a part of me which keeps whispering in me ear there's an easier way ta fix this... besides takin' me cutlasses ta every male that looks at ye."

"Let's not murda me entire pod, aye." Truy's lip lightly curls up. "What would make ye fell betta, omen?"

"Never going down there, but I know ye can't agree to that, nor should I be askin' you for it." He honestly answers before taking in a deep breath as his fingers slide beneath her shirt, needing to feel her skin against his.

"Aye, t'at ain't really possible. I'm ta religious head of me people, plus a diplomat." Truly tightens her grip around him. "But I can have ye as me escort every time I go down."

"That'd help, aye." Though I'd feel better if I could use me cutlasses. He might have a weapon within his tail, but he's under no illusion he's far below even a siren half his age's skill level. At ten he'd been skilled with his swords and now there's an unease in him that hates being suddenly defenseless. Not that having them will help me identify me, enemies. "But hearing only Atlantean...." A look of unease crosses his face as he lifts his head to meet her eyes. "I can't guarantee my reactions when I'm only judging things by what I see and basing it off what's acceptable ta Atlantis. They're not my people, or me culture, and with the way I've been feeling these last few days..." I can't find it in me ta care or accept a new culture right now. Perhaps ever, not if it goes against me own morals and risks ye. His expression turns serious. "The only thing that will matter ta me down there will be keeping ye safe and by my side."

"I'm not in danga, and I'm tryin' ta be understandin'. I can eitha interpret for ye on yer diver's board, or I can eitha ask granddah, one of me guards, or one of me brothas down t'ere ta interpret for ye ta same way, but we'll have ta ask Finn or Brody ta come out." Truly's hand runs up and down his side. "I t'ink it's best t'at we try ta kick up ye Atlantean lessons when we get home."

"I don't mind guards, but it's not their job ta translate for me, nor should it be. As for Atlantean, I was starting ta learn before I ended up in Libertalia." His fingers slide up and down absentmindedly on her back. "Those things aren't gonna help me now, though. I can't learn it in a day."

"No, ye can't. But I can get Finn or Brody here in a few hours, or I'm sure granddah will gladly help ye since it was his charmin' wife t'at set ye on edge."

"Ye, that'd be good." I need someone who'll jump down someone's throat just as fast as I would. Someone who'd act first. "Brody'd be best."

Truly stares up at him, dumbfounded into silence. After several stupefied blinks, she lightly shakes her head. "What?" T'ere is no way I heard him right.

A small grin crosses Kade's face as a chuckle escapes his lips, knowing it will piss her brothers they missed him, stunning her into silence yet again. "You heard me just fine. I said Brody."

"Yer sure yer askin for ta right one? T'at's numba t'ree in ta line of brothas... ta one t'at's an arse."

Kade's grin grows. "Aye, the fucker who dropped ye in and then smacked ye upside the head. I've met the bastard. It's why I want him."

A pout forms on her face. "Yer punishin' me."

"It's not my intention." His hand moves up to caress the side of her face. "He's brash and hot tempered, but he's got a protective streak in him. I don't need a bloody diplomat. I need a cutlass that I can trust will strike quick and true."

Truly takes a deep breath in before rising on her toes and nipping his lip. "Fine. I'll go call him. At least I might get a laugh out of his reaction."

"Aye, that might make it worth yer while." Lowering his head, Kade recaptures her lips, kissing her properly, breathless. When they break apart, he rests his forehead against her. "I still might be on edge down there and I know I'm more irritable and seem ta hate this to ye, but I wouldn't go back either. I want ta be with ye forever, Treasure."

Relief fills Truly. "I'm glad ta hear, cause I was startin' ta t'ink I'd have to find a way ta reverse it for ye."

"If ye could reverse how my coffee tastes now, that'd be grand." He'd woken her up the first morning after he'd turned cursing as he forced himself ta drink his Turkish coffee, determined to enjoy it like he'd always done, even if it was making him shiver and cringe with each sip.

"Sorry, t'ere's no spell strong enough ta reverse t'at amount of evil." Truly's lip curls up.

"Oh, aye?" A grin crosses his lips. "I didn't realize we were talking about Brody. Can ye save exercising him till at least after we get Amphitrite? Otherwise I'm gonna have ta listen to the crazy instincts that keep telling me to get that damn thing out of yer arm and breed you proper."

Truly raises a brow at him. "Pretty sure t'at's te last t'ing ye want ta do." Going undawater gives ye a headache. I don't t'ink ye want a screamin' siren babe livin' in ye house."

"Half of me wants you carrying me child." He honestly admits. "The idea of letting you go down without it in you is driving me half mad right now. Especially if yer Nan is right and the smell of Jasmine is you going into heat." His hand drops to her ass, but he stops his fingers from doing any more than that. "You have no idea you're affecting me already, Treasure." As they hold her gaze, his cognac eyes heat. "Yer killing my self-control as it is."

"We can compromise on when ta have a babe. I know ye talked about havin' one before ye changed and it sometimes sounded like ye'd like ta have one sooner ratha t'an later." Truly slips out of his arms but takes his hand and starts heading back to the house. "I want a babe with ye, and I want one before I finish school, but we'd need babysitters. We live too far away from me mum, and it sounds like yers wouldn't move closer if we asked, aye?"

Kade's lips thin. "No, she's been desperate ta see Brycen and Draken for years. She's finally gotten her family back." Just without me this time. "She won't risk leaving and my father changing his mind, even for me."

Truly nods. "I didn't t'ink so. We've got time ta figure it out, cause yer head still bothers ye from all ta noises." She glances up at him. "Babies are noisy, omen."

"I know that." His thumb caresses the side of her hand as they head back to their small place here. "I have memories of Brycen as one, and Hailee was just born when Raven took me under his wing. And I realize ye prefer ta wait. I haven't forgotten. Me rational mind gets yer logic." His eyes flick to her. "But there's another more instinctual part of me now that presses for me ta breed. And I don't know if it's the siren now in me, the fact my line's dwindling and the fleet's expectations seem ta mainly fall on me, or simply the fact I want to have a family with you."

She leans into him and wraps her hand around his bicep. "Most likely both. Sirens are already apt with a need ta reproduce, t'en they almost eradicated our race. T'ere's a part of ye now, t'at probably realizes t'at and ye feel ta urge ta bring us back. T'en add t'at ta what ye felt before with ye family, and I'm sure it's made it a lot worse. I said I wanted ta wait two years. Eighteen months earlier t'an me plan isn't t'at bad."

"Yer Nan is right that ye have lots of family and cousins that could help. Angus is just next door, and he's managed ta keep five alive so far and we have or Greek brothers and sisters."

"He'd say six." Truly smirks up at him. "He counts me."

"Somehow I'm not surprised. Can ye imagine him and Kill together?"

"Oh, me stars." Truly shivers at the thought. "Jist noh. If we have ta resort ta askin' t'ose two ta watch our babes, t'en it might be best we don't have any. T'ey won't make it, anyway." She gnaws on her lips for a bit. "I t'ink before we get me birth control removed, maybe ye should hang out with Blaine and his son for ta day, or wait till me sista-in-law. Hadley has hers. She's due ta pop any time. I know ye know babes as a human, omen, but it's not ta same. I'm sure Declan would be more t'an happy ta show ye too."

Kade nods in agreement as they step into the small priestess's house. "They really all know when yer cycle is?"

Truly sighs. "Aye, I'm a desirable siren female. Wealthy, power stature, and from a powerful family. A lot of young siren boys used to hope t'ey could catch me eye. It'd make t'em a Duke, and it would give t'em instant respectable stature for bein' ta High Priestess's mate as well. If t'ey had a babe with me, t'en t'ere would always be t'at connection, even if another claimed me. Ta avoid ta risk of some git usin' me, me family started keepin' track of me cycle and uppin' ta security. Like Nan said, it's goin' ta get worse." She taps her nose for emphasis on what she means. "Jist for about four days. Tomorrow and ta next will be ta worse."

We head below tomorrow. A deep, aggravated growl escapes his lips at the idea of her down there with a bunch of fools who can't keep their bloody hands to themselves. The sound of his irritation is enough. It has Petals looking around for the threat while throwing inquisitive looks at her master.

"It's really not as bad as ye keep t'inkin' it is." Truly shakes her head and walks over to the small kitchen, and picks up the phone hanging on the wall next to her apartment-sized white fridge. "Ye'll have Brody with ye tomorrow." Truly pauses for a moment as her gaze drops to the phone. "As long as he says yes."

"I'm not lettin' ye off this island without someone like him backing me up." I can't even guarantee even with here I'll not tie ye to the bed in the morning if you smell better than you already are.

Truly gives him a playful glare. "Fine, I'll give him an orda from ta temple if he tries ta say noh. T'at'll put him in a good mood." Truly quickly dials her brother's number, silently praying she catches him in a good mood.  

🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚