Marlin tried to steady the boat as Nic tossed the net, missed and had to pull it back in. He wanted to help but the boat kept turning with the waves and, of course, Douglass kept changing directions as he swam. He wasn’t going to be an easy target, especially when he kept diving deep and coming up farther away from the boat. So Marlin did his best to keep an eye out for him breaking the surface for air. He also did his best to stay alongside the beta, giving Nic a better chance at catching him.

Douglass certainly wasn’t going to go willingly once caught, either. Marlin was tempted to just run the male over with the props, but then that would destroy his own skin, so he fought to keep his temper under control.

At the bow of the boat, Nic yelled, “Steady!” as he held the net in both hands, ready to launch it again. “Steady! You’re almost on him again. He’s to the starboard.”

“What in great sea gods’ name is starboard?”

“Right! Right side!”

“Then just say right!” Marlin leaned over the side of the boat and saw his own silver seal skin cutting through the water. The only good thing about Douglass wearing a skin not his own was that Marlin’s was too big for the beta and it made for awkward swimming. He’d have been faster if he’d escaped in his own skin. Marlin thanked the sea gods that the weasel didn’t have access to it when he made his quick escape.

Marlin watched the motion of Nic’s lean, muscular body as he tossed the net once more. The male was more powerful than most omegas. Probably because he did a lot more physical activity than just swimming. But now was not the time to appreciate everything that was Nic.

“Fuck!” Nic screamed with frustration. “He dove under the boat.” He looked back at Marlin. “I need to go in.”

“Nic, no. You can’t risk yourself or my son.” Even if there is no pup, I won’t risk you, he silently added. Douglass was unpredictable and too dangerous. And, at this point, desperate for escape which made him capable of just about anything.

“I have to, Marlin, he can’t get away with your skin. He’s stealing your life if he does!”

Digging deep with his alpha voice, Marlin commanded, “Try again with the net, Omega.”

Nic shot him a look that Marlin could pretty much figure out what it meant, then turned back to watch the surface of the water, net in hand. Movement in the water to their left caught Marlin’s eye.

“To your left, Nic,” he called out and hit the throttle. Unfortunately, he hit it too hard and too unexpectedly for Nic to brace. The throw of the net went wonky, totally missing Douglass and resulted in Nic falling backward onto his ass with a curse.

The weighted net was now sinking and no one had a hold of it.

“Is that your only net?”

“Yes!” Nic yelled pushing himself to his feet and giving Marlin a glare. “You’re buying me a new net if it’s forever lost!”

Marlin swatted a hand in his direction. “I’ll spin around and you can grab it.”

“And we’re wasting time while you do that!”

“Omega!” Marlin yelled, losing his patience which was already way too thin.

“Marlin, be careful, and make sure you don’t—”

A horrible sound was heard and the engines cut out.

“Run over it with the props,” Nic finished, dropping his head and shaking it.

Marlin threw the boat in neutral and ran to the back, peering down into the water. “For Poseidon’s sake!” he shouted toward the sky.

“Great!” Nic said from beside him. “Now my net is ruined, my outboards are screwed and Douglass is getting away!”

Marlin twisted his head, searching the water for the weasel. Nic was right, the beta was escaping.

With a huff, Nic donned his skin and before Marlin could stop him, his possibly pregnant lover dove over the side.

“Nic!” was the last thing Nic heard Marlin shout as his body became one with his skin and he sliced cleanly though the chilly water before surfacing yards away for a quick breath. He didn’t bother looking back at the boat. He knew Marlin was freaking out. He could hear it. And seeing it would only be distracting. Instead he scanned the water ahead of him to see if he could spot Douglass.

There that fucker was...

Closing both his nostrils and his ears again, he dove just under the surface and kicked hard with his back flippers.

Even for not being full-blooded, he was a strong swimmer. He had to be. Mostly because his whole life, he had to swim by himself. That meant he always had to remain on alert and be ready to flee from any predators.

His mother had taken him out into the surf from the shore and could swim alongside him for a very short way just to make sure he was both okay and had shifted. But then as he grew and became stronger, he would beeline out to the deeper depths of the ocean and swim alone. She could never swim out that far. She had rented a skiff a few times to follow along with him but eventually, once she was confident of his skills, she just remained on the beach until he returned.

Even once he came of age at sixteen, when he no longer needed her to watch him, she would come out to the rocky shoreline and remain on guard while he swam. Just in case humans or Selkies came around so she could distract them or warn him off with a wave of her arms if someone was on the beach or in the water. He’d remain in the surf until the coast was literally clear.

Just like an Olympic swimmer might swim laps to prepare for competition, Nic had swam miles upon miles. He hoped Douglass had been way too busy being a beta slave to the king to have time to do the same.

Luckily, the male was wearing an ill-fitting skin, so that slowed him down.

Nic was confident he could catch him. The only problem was, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do with Douglass when he did.

He hadn’t thought that through, obviously. At least if the boat had been close by Marlin could assist getting Douglass up onto the back platform. But out here with Marlin stuck in a disabled boat?

Nic was on his own. Nothing he wasn’t used to.

He popped his head up out of the water during a breather and quickly dove again, pushing himself to go faster. Douglass was within reach.

He would get Marlin’s skin back, no matter what.

Then through the dark blue-green water he saw it. A silver figure swimming. It looked like he was struggling a bit, too. Douglass had to have swam for at least twenty miles and was most likely exhausted.

Nic was grateful for that advantage.

As soon as he drew alongside Douglass, Nic used his head to pound Douglass in the side. It made the beta immediately surface for breath. When Nic popped up next to Douglass, the male began to strike Nic about the head with his fore flippers. Nic dove to get away from the pounding, turned and then struck Douglass as hard as he could with his hind flippers. He repeated it but missed the second shot.

But it was clear, Douglass was struggling to remain above water. The one good thwap Nic got in seemed to make the male dizzy. Nic sidled closer to get another good strike in with his stronger rear flippers. But before he could, Douglass threw himself onto Nic and dragged him down under the water with his weight.

Then the beta grabbed the back of Nic’s neck with his teeth and held his head beneath the surf.

Seals couldn’t breathe underwater. Unlike fish, they were mammals and needed oxygen. While normally they could hold their breath for a long time, the exertion of the fight made that difficult. All of this information was spinning in Nic’s mind as he knew he would have to open his nostrils soon out of instinct. And when he did, he’d suck water into his lungs and would drown.

Drown.

He’d worried about Marlin drowning, but it could very well be him instead.

A crazy thought bubbled up.... Marlin would never forgive him for drowning.

Another crazy thought went through his mind because he was becoming light-headed and delusional, as Douglass continued to press all his weight on him, holding his head under the waves.

He had no idea how he knew... But in that moment, he just did. He was pregnant. Carrying his alpha’s son. And he couldn’t let this insane beta take their pup. Not from Nic. Not from Marlin. He’d already stolen Marlin’s skin, Douglass would not take his heir away from the prince.

He. Would. Not.

So Nic needed to get his wits about him, and figure a way out of this situation. Find a way to best the beta. Without any oxygen left in his lungs, he dove deeper and with a painful yank finally slipped from Douglass’s jaws, relieving himself of that deadly weight. As Douglass chased him down, Nic spun his body in quick circles, avoiding the beta’s flippers.

He had no air left and found himself almost sick to his stomach from the lack of oxygen, but he needed to strike Douglass and strike him hard.

He gathered his muscles, almost folded himself in two and he struck out once again with his hind flippers, clobbering the beta in the head so hard, Douglass actually stilled.

With a last look at the unresponsive beta to make sure he wasn’t faking it, Nic kicked hard and rushed to the surface with spots marring his vision, his brain struggling to remain conscious.

But he did. His head broke above the water line and he quickly sucked in the crisp ocean air. He heard a distant shout, but again he ignored it and dove deep once more.

Douglass floated just feet below the ocean’s surface, his eyes closed. Swimming underneath him, Nic nudged his belly, pushing him to the surface and once he got the beta there, he couldn’t care if the fucker lived or died. He just needed to keep a hold of the male until they could divest him of Marlin’s skin.

Now he took a long look back at the boat. How did it drift so far away? Then he realized he never showed Marlin how to anchor the boat in place.

Shit.

And with the props seized by the net, it wasn’t going anywhere under power. It would be up to Nic to somehow get Douglass back to the boat. Back to Marlin. He needed to get back to his alpha.

Grabbing the scruff of the neck of the lifeless Douglass in his jaws, he slowly pulled him through the waves, heading back toward the only vessel within miles. After rushing out to stop Douglass and now pulling the beta’s dead weight, Nic could feel the exhaustion quickly creeping into both his muscles and his bones. But it was the fluttering in his stomach that kept him going.

His son’s father remained on that boat which seemed so far away. His son’s father who was unable to come out and help him. His son’s father who was relying on him to keep his unborn pup safe. His son’s father who needed his skin, his Selkie soul, returned to him.

And, by the grace of the almighty Poseidon, he was going to succeed. He ignored his screaming muscles, ignored the weariness which wanted to overwhelm him. He ignored it all. Instead he remained focused on what was before him. The dark-haired alpha-born prince leaning over the side of the boat, his hand outstretched, calling out his encouragement for Nic to continue swimming toward him.

Toward them. Toward their future.

And before he knew it, he was there. At the back of the boat with his important cargo in tow. Marlin was squatting on the back platform, reaching out to take Nic’s burden from him.

He was saying something but Nic’s ears were still closed to keep the water out. Suddenly he felt it. Douglass moving, coming to, struggling to keep from being pulled out of the Great Sea. Marlin was doing his best to hold on to the wet Selkie. If Douglass pulled the prince in, he’d drop like a rock to the bottom, forever lost.

Being in the water, Nic was stuck in seal form. He needed to get out, shed his skin and help Marlin haul Douglass’s ass onto the boat.

As if in slow motion, Nic watched in horror as the beta sank his teeth into the alpha’s arm and jerk his head violently, pulling Marlin off balance and into the water.

Douglass managed to drag himself onto the now empty platform, Marlin’s skin falling away before he could catch it. It followed the same path as the prince, deep under water.

Nic dove and watched a helpless, pale Marlin sinking into the depths, his skin not quite falling as fast but instead moving with the tidal waves, drifting farther away. Nic didn’t know what to do first: save the prince or his skin? He had no choice but to do both. Marlin would surely drown without his skin. On the other hand, his skin could drop to a depth where Nic might never be able to retrieve it. Or it could drift even farther out to sea before sinking.

He couldn’t hesitate any longer. He rushed toward the skin and nabbed it within his teeth. Then by pushing all the air out of his lungs to reduce his buoyancy, he was able to chase Marlin quicker as the male kept falling deeper into the murky depths of the sea.

Nic finally caught up to Marlin and his heart thumped as he saw the prince’s eyes were closed, his dark hair floating ghostly around his head. His motionless arms and legs extended like a starfish. He wasn’t even trying to save himself. He wasn’t even trying to swim!

Because he couldn’t.

He wasn’t meant to swim like a human, had no instinct to do so, because he wasn’t one. He was a Selkie. His human form was meant to shift in water, not swim. Nic needed to help him survive.

Nic dove under his alpha’s lifeless body and nudged him hard with his snout. He nudged him again. And again.

The prince needed to help himself. He couldn’t just give up and let Douglass win!

Marlin’s eyes popped open and they stared at each other deep underwater, his vibrant blue eyes meeting Nic’s. Nic was sure his own were large, round and black like they became when Selkies shifted into seal form. Nic jammed his muzzle into the prince’s chest. Suddenly Marlin moved, his fingers curling around his silver skin, and, eerily, something changed in the water around them. An electric energy that Nic couldn’t ignore. With excruciating slowness, Marlin shrugged the skin over his shoulders and then...

He was one.

One with his skin. One with his Selkie soul.

Marlin’s hind flippers worked furiously as he fought his way back to the surface with Nic following quickly. When they broke it, they both breathed easy, filling their depleted lungs with much needed air.

Glancing toward the boat, Nic could see a naked, dripping wet Douglass with a knife in his hand. He was sawing at the net which was twisted around the props.

They could let him go now, let him escape. Douglass no longer had Marlin’s skin.

But then there was Karma. Or paybacks. Or whatever Marlin was thinking. Nic stayed close to Marlin as he swam furiously back to the boat.

Douglass was working so intently on freeing the props that he totally missed Marlin pulling himself into the bow of the boat from the water, shedding his skin and letting it drop to the floor out of Douglass’s reach.

With a thumping heart, Nic watched from the water as Marlin snuck up to Douglass from behind and collared him around the neck with one arm, knocking the knife out of his hand with a sharp strike of his fist.

Douglass screamed in both fury and pain as Marlin physically tossed him backwards into the boat. Once the back platform was free of both of them, Nic hurried to pull himself out of the water and shed his skin, tossing it to safety, then finished climbing into the boat.

He froze when he saw Marlin on the floor of the boat straddling Douglass, both hands gripping the beta’s throat tightly.

Douglass was screaming, “My skin should’ve been silver. I deserved the silver royal fur! I’m the son of a king!”

“I don’t give a flying fish whose loins you came from. You’re despicable,” Marlin growled.

“You are not the king! You can’t throw me overboard without my skin. You can’t decide my fate!”

“You tried to steal my skin. You tried to destroy me. You tried to drown me in the Great Sea! I might not be the king, but I have a feeling there currently is no reigning ruler because of you. I think you killed our father. Blood or not, you are truly evil, Beta. And the Earth, as well as the Great Sea will be better off without you. Our sons and omegas will be safer.”

Douglass tried to spit in Marlin’s face. “You have no omega! You have no sons!”

Without turning his attention away from Douglass, Marlin demanded from Nic, “Give me the knife that he dropped.”

Nic opened his mouth, then shut it. He quickly moved to the back of the boat and found the filet knife caught in the net next to one of the props. After freeing it, he brought it to Marlin but didn’t offer it. “Marlin...”

“Not a word, Omega. Give me the knife.”

Douglass’s eyes became as round as saucers as he stared at Nic. “Omega?”

But Nic didn’t have to say a word, his alpha answered, “Yes, when I said our sons and omegas I was speaking of my own, as well.”

“You can’t take him as your mate!”

“No longer your concern, Beta. I thank the almighty sea gods we caught you.”

“I’m the only son of King Solomon who valued the traditions and I couldn’t even take part in them. All you princes disrespected those traditions. And worse, our father allowed it! I couldn’t let that continue. He kept forgiving his alpha-born sons for taking inappropriate omegas and destroying our royal bloodline! I was tossed aside because I was born a beta. You five were only kept because you were alpha-born. I was reduced to being a servant to our own father while you became princes and did what you pleased, lived an easy life. How is that fair?”

“Life isn’t fair, Beta, as you’ll find out this very day.”

Douglass’s beady, dark blue eyes landed on Nic. “He’s nothing but trash. You’ll bring shame upon our kingdom taking a mate who’s not a Selkie.”

“He is a Selkie.”

“If he was pure, he’d be living in the colony. That means he’s nothing but a mutt. And you’ll have him bear your sons? The future princes? That makes you even lower than him.”

Marlin’s expression was as hard and sharp as a diamond, his words like cold steel. “Nic, give me the knife.”

“Marlin...”

Marlin held out his palm, not even bothering to turn his head to look at Nic. “Not a word, Omega. Do as I say.”

“Marlin... Just toss him into the sea. Nothing more.”

“I said not one word.” Marlin kept his hand out and Nic reluctantly placed the long, slender knife into his palm. The prince pressed the sharp edge to the beta’s neck. “What did you do with our father, Beta?”

“What needed to be done.”

“Then I will do the same.”

What felt like ice slid along Nic’s spine.

That feeling didn’t lessen as Marlin continued to speak. “You could’ve killed my omega. You could’ve killed my son.”

“You’re not the king, you can’t decide who gets put to death.”

“You are very right. I’m not the king and neither are you. But you decided who lived and who died. Because of that, our colony has no ruler. With no ruler comes disorder. However, since I’m a prince, I’m ruler of this vessel. It is here I make the laws.” Marlin paused. Then turned to look over his shoulder at Nic. “Secure our skins,” Marlin said in a deadly tone.

“Marlin...”

“Do it, Nic. I don’t want you to witness what’s about to happen.”

“I can handle it.”

Marlin shook his dark head. “That’s not the point. I don’t want you to see me doing it. Go secure our skins and don’t turn around until I tell you to. Do you understand, my omega?”

After a last look at Douglass, he lifted his gaze to Marlin and all his fury and disgust, then his eyes dropped to the filet knife in his alpha’s hands.

“Just toss him over,” Nic pleaded. He didn’t want Marlin to do anything he might not be able to live with.

“Go. Secure. Our. Skins.”

Nic shivered at Marlin’s icy command.

With a nod, Nic went and secured their skins as he heard a cry, a gurgle, and, a few moments later, a splash. He still didn’t turn around until his alpha allowed him.