“Whatever he really felt, I doubt he would share it. The merrae who were vocal about him helping continue our species wouldn’t give a damn if he didn’t want a mate. Those who were loud about maintaining the tradition of an unmated king wouldn’t be swayed if he wanted a partner. He didn’t even get a vote.”

“Seriously? What if he was into men?”

“Most of us knew him before he was the king, so we didn’t have to wonder whether he wanted a woman. Pros and cons of living forever unless killed, I guess.”

I grimaced.

Whatever his past was with relationships, I didn’t really want to know. Even if part of me itched to find out.

“I can’t imagine he would choose to stay single if there was another option,” Joa said. “He’s been on the throne too long to pick loneliness.”

“Seems better to stay single and a bit lonely than to end up mated to the wrong person after abducting them from Earth.”

She snorted. “Sounds specific.”

“Nah.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes. It was more comfortable than I would’ve expected.

“What did you vote?” I finally asked.

“Against him taking a mate.”

Her response caught me off guard, and my head jerked toward her.

Her lips curved in a humorless smile. “Giving the selkies half the throne would’ve solved our problems with them completely. Mating him to you only made them worse.”

I stared at her for a long moment.

She shrugged. “Would’ve been better for you if he didn’t abduct you anyway, right?”

“Well, yes. I think.”

“No one loses if he shares his throne with the selkies. If he mates with you, everyone does.”

“It’s a little too late,” I finally said, turning away from her.

“We can agree on that.” She stared up at the sky some more.

I probably should’ve ended the conversation there, but finding out what the rest of the kingdom thought about my situation seemed like a better call. Even if it kind of sucked.

“What would the merrae do if I used birth control?” I asked.

“Nothing, if they didn’t find out. If they did, I’m sure you would hear many lectures about the continuation of our species. You’ll probably hear those lectures anyway, though,” Joa said.

“Lovely.”

“Mmhm. Luckily, there are a whole host of newly-mated couples in the castle, so the focus will be split.”

My eyebrows shot upward. “Seriously? I’m not the only turned human here?”

“Not even close. Last I heard, we were nearing four hundred turned humans.”

“Holy shit.” After taking a moment to process that, I asked, “Do you have a mate?”

“I do. She passed on during the war. Unlike me, she was a healer. An actual hero.”

So Joa was fading. She was probably one of the bitter people she had mentioned. “I’m sorry.”