Heading out into the water, the difference between Tír na nÓg and Litaui struck me as it did every time I visited. It was so dark at these depths without the phosphorescent algae that grew on Tír na nÓg. I hadn't bothered to get one of our lanterns since both Manannan and Shannon easily cast light ahead of us.

It made me wonder whether Loki could as well.

I didn't know the range of his powers and a sense of inadequacy stirred uneasily in my gut, with the cold depths of the surrounding ocean sinking into me, into my soul. Of the four of us, I was the only non-god. My abilities were the same as every other Fomorian—nothing special. While Manannan and I shared the ability to gain energy from water, to manipulate all forms of water, and to provide energy through sex repeatedly, that was the limit of my powers. I didn't gain energy from sex. I couldn't manipulate air or weather, other than to make it rain. My trident allowed me to shoot energy blasts when I could recharge it with water, but that was technology, not ability.

What did I bring to Shannon that Loki couldn't already do better? Why would she love me if I couldn't bring something unique to our union? If I couldn't help her in some way?

Sure, I could breathe underwater and move faster through the water, but his ability to shapeshift meant he kept up well enough as a dolphin, and if we needed to stay deep, like now, he shifted to a mako shark and was only slightly slower. Loki was impressive—there was no doubt.

Seastars, that was such a ridiculous understatement. The way he'd made Shannon cum... the way he'd made me cum! What would it take to make him lose his own control? Would it be as spectacular as connecting with Shannon's thoughts when she climaxed? I had to believe it would, and shells, but I wanted to experience that with him.

With the light cast by Manannan as he led the way, it was easy to see Shannon slightly ahead of me, just to the right of Loki's undulating shark form while I swam on his left.

"That was incredible. Will we always feel what the other is experiencing with the bond open?" I asked her.

She looked at me over Loki's tail, meeting my gaze and smiling. "Yes. It can get quite... intense."

"I'm sure. I'm absolutely amazed that with what I was feeling, Loki himself didn't cum while in your brain. It was... well, you are just so gorgeous when you orgasm." It was like saying a kraken was just an octopus, but I couldn't seem to find the words I wanted to express myself.

"So are you. I loved watching Loki make you cum," she told me, hazel eyes gleaming.

"I had no idea he could do something like that," I admitted. "He's certainly surprising. And shells, but I don't think I could get myself off nearly as well as he did."

A laugh rippled down the bond.

Such a fascinating sensation. Once Loki had told me, it hadn't taken me long to identify when something was coming from Shannon. It was like she occupied a particular spot at my very centre. Almost like she had her own flavour inside of me.

I loved the tangible confirmation that we were soulmates.

"Yeah, Loki has moves I've never even heard of. An absolute master of the sensual arts. You can expect he'll challenge you to find your limits. He constantly surprises me. There is a lot you'll learn about Loki, about me, and probably about yourself. I am not the same person I was before I met him. We each change the other, hopefully for the better," she said.

I thought about that for a while as we continued to swim. The sense of connection was absolutely incredible. Shannon literally felt like a part of me, and I of her.

It made me understand why she fought our attraction last year when she had this connection with Loki. The warmth surrounding me was indescribable. I didn't doubt that my mother, brother, and sister cared for me, but this went so far beyond that. It was a soul-deep belonging.

And she had this with both of us. I looked over at Loki, his gaze focused ahead. Just that small taste of him, his essence travelling through Shannon, had me craving more. He was magnetic. I wanted that full connection with him, too. The three of us together, the way we were meant to be.

Something struck me as odd as I watched him. His eyes weren't focusing on anything. It was almost as if he was zoning out and moving simply on autopilot. Yet, in my brief acquaintance with him, he was larger than life. His charisma and dominance seemed to take up more space than his physical body.

"Is Loki okay? He seems... not himself?" I asked. "Or are the two of you talking and I'm just not able to hear it?"

Even if we didn't have the soulbond yet, Loki and I could still communicate out loud. He'd understand my words and all Fomorians could speak with any sea creatures with a brain and language. But I was hesitant to interrupt his... meditation?

"No, he's not talking. He seems to be mulling something over. I'm sure he'll talk when he's ready," she reassured me. "Loki is never quiet for long."

"Okay, well, I was thinking maybe we should give him a boost? He's got to be expending a ton of energy swimming while shape-shifted," I suggested.

She nodded. "Yeah, that's a great idea. We can ease the aerodynamics around him and pull him between us."

Moving up to keep him between us and be closer to his front, we started manipulating the water around him, in addition to propelling ourselves.

"So what needs to happen for the soulmate bond to fully connect between Loki and I?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant even as I knew she'd heard some of my previous thoughts.

"The bond will kick in when you have coitus. At least, it's my understanding that specific exchange is required, and since it hasn't kicked in from his astral hand, I expect it must be true," Shannon said.

I assumed it was because it required more energy for the multi-dimensional bond to lock in place and penetrative sex provided the greatest exchange of energy. It made me wonder how Asgard's understanding of science compared to ours. Yet another thing for me to look forward to learning.

Coitus.

Curiosity and intense arousal blended together at the thought of what that might mean with Loki, given his dominance and gender fluidity. I suspected it would be whatever he decided at the moment, as it was clear he'd insist on being in charge.

Searching within myself for any hesitation, only the coiled heat and intrigue answered. Unexpected, but I didn't seem to mind the idea. Indeed, the more I considered it, the more my pulse quickened, anticipation heating my blood and stirring my cock.

While I was accustomed to sharing a female, I wouldn't have predicted that I'd be aroused by his dominance. But then, I'd never met another male quite like Loki. He was just so... it was curious considering he was currently a shark, but my mind insisted on seeing him as a cat.

A sleek black jaguar.

It was the way he moved. Sensual but lethal.

Jaguars had always been my favourite of the Litauian land animals with colouration similar to my own, their sense of play, and their love of the water in their native flooded forests of the Americas. One of our outposts was only a few hours offshore from prime jaguar habitat and I'd watched them for hours every time I'd come to Litaui.

Having seen him wield his erotic mastery, experienced a taste myself, and the echo of Shannon's orgasm through the bond, I could only image how amazing sex would be between the three of us now. It had been incredible before, but this... this would be... Reaching down, I shifted my rigid cock. Shells. I couldn't wait to find out.

Which reminded me. Was I still sending all my thoughts and feelings to Shannon? Not that I didn't want to share with her, but I would like to choose.

"How do I control what I send you?" I asked.

The edges of her lips twitched up in a smile. "Concerned about what you've been sending me? Trust me when I say you aren't thinking anything I haven't. And you aren't wrong. He's been a black jaguar god in the Americas and a black panther goddess in Africa. Loki is definitely a cat."

That had me blinking. I didn't think Loki and I were that far apart in age, but my brother hadn't been exaggerating when he said Loki's influence spanned Litaui. He had lifetimes of experience compared to my shorter life on Tír na nÓg. I'd only ever spent a few tens of years on Litaui at a time.

Shaking my head, I refocused on Shannon. "I would like to not send every stray thought I have. How will I ever surprise you otherwise?" I teased.

She laughed. "Yes, there can be such a thing as too much sharing."

"Indeed!"

"The way Loki described it to me, you imagine yourself in a bubble and you only allow certain things through your bubble. You can make the walls thin or thick. You can make different bubbles for different parts of your mind," Shannon explained.

I tried visualizing what she said, using a familiar transport bubble as a model.

"Can you see what I'm thinking now?" I asked.

"Nope! Well done! I'll tell you what he told me—practice it constantly, and eventually your mind holds it on its own and you don't have to think about it."

"Let's stop up ahead and surface for a short break," Manannan said. "We're making better time than I expected, but a shark can only swim so far and so fast."

"I suspect my consorts have taken it onto themselves to boost me along. I'm not as tired as I should be after swimming for six hours," Loki said, shark's head swivelling from Shannon to me.

Shannon smiled and shrugged. I copied her shrug and grinned.

After a quick bite to eat, we set off again, not stopping until we reached the Cocos Islands. Loki shifted back to his usual form, and we found a secluded spot under palm trees on the beautiful white sand beaches. We slept, with one of us staying awake in turns, and ate before setting out again when night fell.

The ocean was busier as we passed Sumatra and Java. Not wanting to be spotted, we rested during midday on Seraja Island before continuing in the afternoon and through the night. Choosing a tiny island by Taiwan the next midday, we made excellent progress and reached the Fomorian outpost in the East China Sea the following morning, a full eighteen hours faster than expected since Shannon and I had boosted Loki's swimming speed.

Still, we were tired by the time we passed through the water gate.

"Prince Elatha, it's an honour to have you here. I understand these are your consorts, Prince Loki and Princess Shannon?" the outpost commander asked, having arrived while we were still shedding the water from our swim.

Had Elada announced it to our Litaui outposts or had Mother sent it out across all Fomorian territories? I inclined my head, smiling at her for the courtesy of coming to greet us herself. "Indeed. Thank you for your welcome, Commander Elle. You know Manannan Mac Lir?"

The outpost commander, her white braids swinging, smiled flirtatiously at the Sea God. "Oh yes, Manannan visits all our Fomorian outposts from time to time."

He smiled and shrugged modestly.

"I begin to see why Mist might be put out with him, if he flirts with every female that crosses his path," Shannon growled.

I bit my lip. Perhaps it wasn't courtesy that had the commander greeting us. Deciding discretion was probably a wise choice, I didn't answer her and instead, asked Elle for the location of our rooms.

"You're on the top floor of the Odyssey tower. Do you need a guide, or do you remember the way?" she asked, with another glance at Manannan.

"No, I'm good. I remember. Thank you, Elle," I said politely.

Fortunately, she took the hint, nodded her head and left us.

Turning towards the correct path, I led us on the twenty-minute walk to the tower, then up the winding flights of stairs to the top. Leaving Manannan at his door to code it to himself, I walked to our suite around the corner. After coding Shannon, Loki, and myself into the door, we entered the spacious set of rooms.