"My name is Amber," Amber replied shyly. Blue Tang gave off an intimidating aura that she was not used to from other beast men.
Maybe it was because he was not used to being around females. He had been abandoned by his mother when he was young and fought with his brothers until he became the strongest merman in the tribe.
He was a protector of their tribe and de-facto leader after their last leader went to search for their last female mermaid.
Amber was a little nervous around him. She already had 3 mates, but she was still not too experienced with mating. She got pregnant the 2nd time she had sex and had only had sex once since then when she mated with Tyler.
That wasn't planned. It just happened. This was a little awkward. Blue Tang was staring at Amber intently trying to figure out what she was thinking.
The sound of her stomach growling was loud in the mostly empty cave. Blue Tang looked at her stomach and asked, "Are you hungry? We can get you fish and seaweed."
Amber had not eaten seaweed before and she wasn't a big fan of fish. She hadn't ever had sushi, but the thought of raw fish was not appetizing.
She told him, "Can you ask my mates on the shore to make something for me? They know what I like."
Blue Tang nodded and left to get a message to her mates. He knew from her marks that she had a bird mate, cheetah mate, and monkey mate.
He decided to go to the shore and deliver the message himself. He brought a few mermen with him in case they wanted to fight. He could always call for backup if needed.
They reached the shore to find a group of distraught beast men frantically calling out for Amber.
He thought these must be her mates. They knew her name. He would be distraught if he lost her. She was the most beautiful female he had ever met and she was so well-tempered.
He had heard of other females being spoiled and arrogant. He could not put up with their attitudes and look at their ugly faces.
Nick noticed the mermen first and yelled, "Did you steal my mate?" Blue Tang responded, "She was all alone in the water. I rescued her. She is now my mate as well."
Tyler and Tom looked at each other with guilty glances. They had only let her play in the shallow water while they went to get food for a few minutes and she was gone when they came back.
Nick had almost killed them both for losing his beloved mate. They were trusted with her safety and Nick had already lost her once. He didn't want to lose her again.
Nick was furious, but what the merman said was technically correct. That was how he originally became mates with Amber. He was debating internally if he should kill Tyler and Tom.
He had no choice but to accept this new merman as Amber's mate. They were vastly outnumbered and this merman was 4-striped. They were both beast kings.
He still missed Amber. "Where is she? Her flying mate and beast guardian were supposed to protect her while I was on my way with her other mate and guardians. Please don't keep her away from me."
Blue Tang sympathized with this Cheetah beast man. He could understand how he would feel if he went back and one of his mermen had lost Amber. "She is well guarded by my mermen tribe. She now has hundreds of beast guardians and is our mermaid Queen."
"She is hungry and specifically asked for your food. If you cook for her I will allow you all to visit the island closest to the cave tomorrow after we become official mates. If anyone tries to steal her away, we will kill him."
Nick was not happy that this fish man was giving him orders, but he was at a disadvantage currently. He couldn't reach Amber and would die before he did either of lack of oxygen or by the hundreds of mermen.
He asked, "I heard that mermen do not accept females of different tribes, what changed your mind?"
Blue Tang responded, "She is the most beautiful female I have seen from land. I have seen many females when beast men try to trade for salt. Not only are they ugly, but have bad attitudes. Amber is the complete opposite of those females."
Nick and the others understood what he was talking about. It was the reason they were all hopelessly in love with Amber. Nick reluctantly agreed to the merman's terms.
He ordered the others to get food so he could cook. He was so angry at Tyler and Tom that he didn't even look at them. They silently left to find what they could. They had found some more coconuts and fruits earlier. They left them in the shade of a coconut tree.
Ray came back first with a dead wolf. He cleaned it and Nick started to roast it with some salt and seasonings he brought from their Castle. Fred and Barry found some nuts and vegetables that Amber liked.
Oliver and Eli found some bananas and other fruits. Soon the meal was ready. Blue Tang and the other mermen took the food and placed it inside bubbles so it wouldn't get wet.
Before he left he told Nick, "Have the flying beast men follow us to know where the island is. You can wait there and I will bring Amber out tomorrow."
Nick nodded and didn't even have to say anything to Tyler and Tom. They flew after the mermen and saw them from above. Blue Tang purposely swam close to the surface so they would not lose him in the ocean.
All the beast men understood it would be best to cooperate. They could always fight later. For now, they just did not want to upset Amber. Blue Tang knew that Amber loved her mates and would not be happy if anything happened to them.
He hoped that she would love him as well, but he would be satisfied if she just gave birth to a female for the Mermen tribe. He had to think of the future of the mermen in his tribe.
Tyler and Tom saw the island they were talking about and Blue Tang dove down to the underwater cave. Tyler and Tom debated the distance underwater, but it was still too deep for them to dive. They would not make it with one breath.
They flew back to the shore to report to Nick and the others. Nick was still not happy with them, but as long as they were useful he would not kill them. Tyler and Tom flew the rest over 2 at a time. It was too far to swim.
They began to set up a shelter on the island and prepare for their visit with their mate. Eli was oblivious to the situation. He explored the island excitedly while eating bugs that he found and collecting sea shells.
Blue Tang swam down with the other mermen. They delivered the food bubbles to Amber. Blue Tang dismissed them. He wanted some alone time with his mate.
Amber asked, "How are they? Were they too worried?" Blue Tang smiled slightly in jealousy. He answered, "They are waiting for you on the island nearby. I will bring you up to meet them tomorrow."
Amber was happy that she would get to meet them again tomorrow. She asked, "Why not now?" Blue Tang came closer to her and she held her breath in nervousness.
He whispered into her ear, "Because I need to make sure they won't try to steal you away. We still need to make our mate bond official."
Amber's heart raced at his closeness. He was a beautifully cold man. She also started to get aroused at his whispers. She was still shy and hungry, so she gulped and asked, "What food did you bring?"
Blue Tang smirked. He could smell her arousal and knew the effect he had on his mate. He thought it would be fun to tease her, but did not want her to go hungry.
He popped the bubbles with his sharp claw. The food inside was still hot and steaming. The delicious aroma filled the cave and Amber gulped her saliva. She knew this was Nick's cooking from the seasonings he used.
She also noticed the fruits, nuts, and coconuts. Nick had cooked some vegetables into the wolf stew. She hesitantly reached for the stone bowl of food. She looked at Blue Tang and asked, "Would you like to try it?"
Blue Tang had never smelled these seasonings or food before. He was a little tempted but didn't want to take food from his mate. She needed to eat a lot to prepare for the baby female.
"No, Thank you, I already ate. Eat as much as you like. If you are still hungry I will send someone to get more food for you."
Amber ate slowly to try and stall for time.