The Mark of the Phoenix [The Triplet Mermen Trilogy] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Read online

  

  The Triplet Mermen Trilogy

  The Mark of the Phoenix

  Edwin Barrett is a phoenix shifter who protects other supernatural beings. A siren comes on land to lure men and women to their deaths. Believing Baltic Pelagius to be that siren, he attempts to annihilate him. He's thwarted by Drake Pelagius and Caspian Pelagius. The Pelagius brothers are identical triplets, but he only has eyes for Drake, who convinces him of Baltic's innocence. They work together to find the siren responsible for those deaths and investigate the reason for several merpeople missing from the Pacific Ocean.

  Drake doesn't expect the strength of his attraction toward Edwin. Agreeing to date Edwin is wonderful. Getting mated to Edwin is even better. As a merman, mating is meant to last for an eternity. His life is supposed to be peaceful and calm, but neither he nor Edwin can rest until their duties are done. Multiple dangers lurk just around the corner.

  Will they ever acquire the happy ending they yearn for?

  Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Shape-shifters

  Length: 33,727 words

  THE MARK OF THE PHOENIX

  The Triplet Mermen Trilogy

  Casper Graham

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  THE MARK OF THE PHOENIX

  Copyright © 2018 by Casper Graham

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-197-1

  First Publication: May 2018

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at

  [email protected]

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  DRS, you’ve been my #1 supporter since the very beginning. You’re always there for me through thick and thin, and I can’t ever thank you enough. I love you.

  Readers, I hope you’ll enjoy the first book of the Triplet Mermen Trilogy. It’s a story I’ve been wanting to write for a while now, but it has taken me a while to come up with a suitable storyline for each of the brothers. Thank you for your continuous support!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Casper writes because it’s a passion. He writes because he has stories to share with the world. He writes because he needs a creative outlet.

  Sometimes, his head is filled with so many competing ideas/thoughts all at once that he simply has to put them all into words. He always has his smartphone with him, including shower time, because the muse hits him at unexpected moments and he doesn’t want to lose the ideas later.

  He has been dating a wonderfully supportive and loving man since January 2013—someone who is willing to accept his shortcomings, someone who is willing to tolerate his idiosyncrasies. The journey has been long and difficult, but they have their good moments. Casper’s lover has a love/hate relationship with the fact that he sometimes includes a part of their stories, but he enjoys writing "them" into the stories anyway.

  He hopes readers will all join him in his writing journey and get a glimpse into his life through his stories.

  For all titles by Casper Graham, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/casper-graham

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  The Mark of the Phoenix

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  The Mark of the Phoenix

  The Triplet Mermen Trilogy

  CASPER GRAHAM

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  Edwin Barrett eyed one of the thicker branches at the top of the tree before leaning his back against it. If he’d been in his original form as a phoenix, he could have perched himself on any surface without worrying about his balance or weight. In his human form, however, he had to be concerned about the branch being able to take his five-foot-eleven figure, which was one hundred and ninety pounds of solid muscles. He sighed and placed his palms at the back of his head before staring up at the stars, feeling more than a little bored and drowsy. It was almost two in the morning, so the street was almost empty, except for two or three inebriated people still walking around.

  There was another reason why he couldn’t simply shift into a phoenix at the moment. He was attempting to hunt down a rogue siren, who, for some unfathomable reason, had decided to roam the city of San Francisco instead of sticking to his or her usual hunting grounds, which were either the vast ocean or the lakes. Sirens were never this far away from a huge body of water, and he considered that to be an anomaly. Regardless, there were reports of multiple ordinary men and women disappearing, and it was his solemn duty as one of the best supernatural hunters in the world to investigate this particular case.

  It wasn’t long before he heard the melodious humming he had been waiting for. The haunting tune would have affected ordinary humans and some of the weaker supernatural beings, but he was one of the most powerful in the world. It would take more than such a lowly form of magic to enchant him. Granted, the sound was melancholic, tugging at his heartstrings and causing him to feel a smidgen of sentimentality for shit-knew-what, but he was determined to get rid of the damn siren before it snatched another victim that night. Besides, he had a bakery to tend to later in the morning. He needed to get some shut-eye to function properly during its opening hours.

  He rolled off the branch, which was several feet above the ground, and still managed to land in a crouching position. He stood and grabbed the whip from the special hook attached to his belt before making his way toward the source of the captivating humming sound, which didn’t take more than a few minutes. He stared at the siren. A male siren, to be exact. The siren was beautiful. Ethereal even. Then again, all sirens were gorgeous beyond words. This particular siren had icy blue eyes and incredible platinum-blond hair.

  “Hello, handsome.”

  He sneered at the siren. “Don’t even bother trying to lure me to your lair. Wherever the fuck it is, I’m not interested. I’m immune to your charm and magic, so save your theatrical act and get ready to take a single trip to the underworld.”

  He expected the siren to reveal his true form, which would include sharp claws and a mouth full of fangs. He certainly didn’t expect the siren to summon water from deep within the soil. Sirens weren’t meant to do that. They were vile creatures who’d lost touch with their humanity and water magic. They w
ere supposed to be mindless and more than a little maniacal, especially when they were pissed off. This was an uncharted territory, and Edwin was almost drowned inside the huge bubble of water that was conjured by the siren. Fortunately, he succeeded in warding off the water by calling upon his fire. The water disappeared in a loud hiss.

  The siren appeared to be in a state of shock for a second or two, but it was more than enough time for Edwin to produce more fire before throwing it toward the siren. What occurred next threw him off for the second time that night. A wall of ice materialized out of nowhere, blocking his fire. Then, he was stunned because another man was standing between him and the siren. The stranger had an identical look to the siren, except for those eyes. They were silver-ish gray, and they were so pretty Edwin almost lost himself in them. Both the stranger and the siren were equally exquisite, but he wasn’t attracted to the siren at all. This stranger was a different matter altogether because Edwin could feel himself yearning to possess the unknown man.

  He was brought back to reality when yet another identical man popped up next to the siren. This third man had fierce amber eyes. Edwin glanced back and forth at all three identical faces. They must be triplets. The situation was too surreal. For a moment, he didn’t know what he was supposed to be doing. Hence, he clutched tighter to the handle of the whip in his right hand and waited for any of the triplets to make the first move of attack.

  Suddenly, the gray-eyed man turned toward the amber-eyed one. “Cas, take Balt and run. I’ll hold the phoenix off for as long as I can.”

  “Fuck you, Drake. I’m the one with fire magic in me. I have a stronger chance of surviving a battle with a damn phoenix.”

  “Shut the hell up. Just go. Hurry.”

  Edwin clenched his fists in anger. “None of you will escape from me tonight.”

  He was startled when Drake glared at him. “You will let my brothers go.”

  He smirked at Drake, ignoring the slight arousal burning deep in his guts at the sight of those mesmerizing gray eyes. “Or what?”

  “Or I’ll have to kill you.”

  He chortled in amusement. That was the moment he scented the air and caught a hint of salty seawater coming from Drake and even Cas. He had no idea what Cas was short for, but it didn’t matter. He would deal with them all in one way or another soon enough. He had no time for niceties or any forms of proper introduction. However, he couldn’t detect a distinguishable smell from the siren, which added yet another weirdness to the circumstance.

  “You’re a merman, aren’t you? So is your brother. Cas, right? That other one, though, is a siren. He’s an abomination. I have to get rid of him.”

  Drake stiffened and narrowed both eyes at him. “Mind your own business, you filthy hunter. Caspian and Baltic are my brothers. Don’t even think about harming either one of them. You’ll have to go through me first.”

  He snorted out loud. “That can be arranged.”

  He felt his dick hardening when Drake conjured more water from deep within the soil. There was something sexy about Drake even when the man was furious at him, and Edwin couldn’t deny his attraction. Maybe he was a masochist. He stood unmoving and waited for Drake to attack him. He was astounded when Drake shot the water behind him and propelled his brothers much farther away.

  “Drake!” Caspian yelled. “You stupid fucker. That damn phoenix will kill you.”

  Edwin noticed the tears in Drake’s eyes right before the man faced both Caspian and Baltic. “Grab Balt and hide, Cas. Please.”

  Edwin dashed forward in a hurry, refusing to fail in his mission, but he was astonished when he bumped right against a wall of ice. He jumped up high and used the whip to cling onto one of the nearby tree branches to steady himself, but he had to step back several inches when the next assault almost got him, barely escaping Drake’s claws, which were aimed right at his heart. By the time he landed on the ground several feet away from Drake, Caspian and Baltic had disappeared. Edwin cussed under his breath and felt the mixture of fury and arousal burning deep inside him. He had never experienced something like this. He was angry at and turned on by Drake at the same time. He craved fucking Drake and pumping his cum into that merman’s tight hole. He also wanted to slash Drake’s throat for interfering in his mission. It was a strange and unfamiliar sensation.

  “You’re going to pay for that, you stupid fuck.”

  Drake panted, obviously winded from the exertion of the short battle. “I know I can’t win against you. I’m too far away from a large body of water. Using water magic in this condition is a disadvantage for me, but I can’t let you have either Caspian or Baltic. We’re triplets. We grew up together. Losing either one of my brothers isn’t an option. Not for me.”

  Edwin hesitated. “Why?”

  Drake gazed at him in confusion. “What?”

  He sighed before responding. “Why are you protecting Baltic? He may be your brother. He may have been born as a merman, but he’s a siren now. The chance of healing him and returning him to his previous form as a merman is minute.”

  Drake glanced at him in silence for a few seconds before answering his question. “I’m aware. Only love can cure a siren.”

  “So, what? Are you and Caspian hoping to find Baltic’s soulmate? That’s like trying to find the right speck of sand in the deep blue sea.”

  Drake nodded. “I know, but I also know something else.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re looking for the siren responsible for those missing humans, aren’t you?”

  Edwin should have been more surprised upon hearing the accurate guesswork coming from Drake, but he discovered that he wasn’t. “Yeah. Do you know anything about that?”

  “No, but I can assure you that Baltic isn’t the one you’re searching for. Caspian and I have been with him ever since…ever since his transformation into who he is now. Earlier tonight was the first time we lost sight of him.”

  Edwin stared at Drake for a moment. “I hope you’re not lying about that because if you are, and I find out about it, I’ll be even more pissed off than I am at the moment.”

  “Merpeople can’t lie. I’m sure you have at least a bit of knowledge about my people.”

  He didn’t refute Drake’s claim because he knew it was the truth. The merfolk was one of the purest supernatural species in the world, right up there with the gentle and innocent unicorn shifters or the righteous and honorable pegasus shifters.

  “Okay. Let’s say I believe you. What happened to Baltic?”

  Drake approached him, which was an unexpected development. “Tell me your name first. After all, you already know the names of my brothers and me.”

  He blushed in embarrassment. “It’s Edwin Barrett.”

  “Cool. Let me introduce myself formally. I’m Drake Pelagius. Now, we’re no longer strangers.” The two of them grinned at each other. “Anyway, Balt fell for the wrong man more than a century ago.”

  “An ordinary human?”

  Drake shook his head. “A snake shifter. Balt fell in love, but it wasn’t reciprocated. That damn snake was nothing but a fucking tease. He strung Balt along until he got bored. Then, he dumped Balt in public in full view of all our friends and acquaintances.”

  Edwin hesitated to voice out his next question, but he was curious. “So, Balt has lost his pearl then?”

  Drake glared at him. “Of course not. Merpeople will only give their pearls to their mates.”

  “Balt is a virgin then?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but he is. Unlike some other supernatural shifters, we’re not promiscuous. A merfolk will only have sex with his or her mate. We don’t swim or walk around having indiscriminate sexual encounters with just anyone.”

  “Cool it, fish-boy. I’m just—”

  He yelped in shock when Drake pushed him down onto the ground and straddled his waist before placing one clawed hand around his neck. Drake’s mouth was wide open, and Edwin could see the sharp rows of fangs wit
hin. Even in his current situation, he could feel his erection straining against the front of his pants. He had it bad for this beautiful merman. While a larger part of his brain was amused and aroused by his and Drake’s current position on the ground, a tiny part of him wondered what this merman’s scales looked like if he was fortunate enough to view them in Drake’s original form. He was almost regretful that Drake didn’t fully shift into his merman form.

  “Call me that one more time and I’ll make sure you can’t have sex ever again for the rest of eternity.”

  Edwin gulped. “Okay. Sorry.”

  He heaved out a sigh of relief when Drake let him go. He got up on his feet and gave Drake an apologetic smile, but the merman ignored him. He thought it would be the end of their interaction, but he was taken aback when Drake retracted his claws and fangs before gazing into his eyes with those beautiful gray eyes. There were specks of silver in Drake’s eyes, and Edwin wouldn’t mind staring into those eyes for the rest of eternity.

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For believing in me.”

  “You’re welcome. What are you going to do now? Will you return to the sea? Or will you be staying around on land?”

  Drake shook his head. “My brothers and I can’t go back to the sea. We’re not welcomed there. We’ve been residing on land for the past hundred years, more or less.”

  “The merpeople are terrified of Baltic?”

  Drake nodded while smiling, but Edwin noticed the pain in the merman’s eyes. “Yes. Anyway, please help spread the word around your hunter friends about Balt. Cas and I will be responsible for him. We won’t let him out of our sight ever again. This is honestly a one-time mishap. We were distracted with some other things earlier.”