Mermaid Queen Read online

  As soon as my feet touch the sand, I grab my savior and lead her to the beach. My clothes need to dry. Still, I have no idea what to do with the mermaid. She seems scared now that she's away from the water. She's gorgeous with ebony hair and moonlight eyes. Her beauty would convince a man to jump overboard with the promise of a kiss from those lips. I can't stop staring at her. Her full breasts are covered with purple seashells knit together by what seems to be seaweed rope, her pale and almost translucent skin glows as if it has a light of its own, and her silvery-blue tail sways gently. I want her to feel safe beside me. I motion for her to calm down.

  Abruptly, everything changes. She gasps forward in pain. Her laments pierce my heart with anguish, and I have no idea if I'm the one causing her suffering. Maybe she needs to stay in the water. I rub her back as her fingers dig into the sand. Then her tail begins to change. Her scales ripple and shine as her tail transforms into two elegant, human legs. Her hair covers her back and her bottom. Raising her head from the sand, she looks confused at her legs. Taking notice of her naked state, I grab my shirt and give it to her as any gentleman would do. Turning my back to her, I let her cover herself before looking again.

  We can't communicate. I shouldn't keep her with me. Yet I don't want to let her go.

  When I turn around, I see that she's trying to stand. Her legs shake as she attempts to move forward with her arms reaching for the ocean. I grab her by her waist and turn her around. She's crying. My thumb wipes her tears. Pushing me back, I understand that she wants to return to the sea. I take her in my arms, noticing her sexy feminine curves glued to the cotton fabric of my shirt. My blood boils as my stomach flutters with the attraction. I'm going to regret this, but I can't keep her with me against her will. So, I return her to the salty water and watch her transform into a mermaid again and sway her tail back and forth as she swims away. Diving, she disappears, leaving behind the bittersweet melody of the sea caressing the sand.

  Chapter 4—Longing

  IT'S BEEN TWO DAYS since I returned home. Since the mermaid saved me, I keep having the same recurrent dream. We are on the beach, her tail transforms into two legs—her once scaled bottom is now two beautiful buttocks—and her hair falls along her back like ebony silk, concealing her feminine curves. All I want to do is trail kisses along her body, massage her muscles, and adore her like the goddess that she is. She giggles with my kisses. I get harder each time my fingers touch her satin skin as I draw patterns on her thighs. I wake up just when she's turning around and raising her mouth to meet mine. Painfully frustrating. Mainly because I wake up completely aroused.

  Blinking, I adjust my vision to the sunlight streaming into my bedroom. I sit up and try to ignore the erection between my legs. I know that no matter how much I rub it, there's only one solution to my problem. I need to find the mermaid and convince her to stay with me as my queen. One night won't be enough to satisfy my hunger. I need her in my bed, blushing, moaning, and giggling under my body. I need her to bare my children. I'm losing my mind.

  A few minutes later, I'm dressed and roaming the corridors of the castle, greeting my subjects and ignoring the flirty smiles of all the maidens that have been flocking to my domains since they heard I need a wife. The death of my father made me an early successor. As King and alpha, I have the duty to keep them safe and provide for an heir. I have plans for that once I find the goddess with the silvery eyes.

  For the past two days, my morning promenades consist in descending to the beach and sitting there, waiting. I would sleep on the sand if my beta didn't give me a headache about how dangerous that was.

  On my way, I grab a few flowers from the garden and trek down the path to my private beach.

  Leonard appears from the blind spot on the descent. My beta signals me to halt.

  “I've been there. There are no signs of an imaginary mermaid.”

  I frown at his joke. He hadn't believed me. I've only told him about how I had arrived safely and unharmed.

  My lips stretch into a smile. “Funny.” The wind musses my hair, and I run my hand to arrange it. “Have you found a fisherman who can tell us where to find them?”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Do I look like someone who would joke about something like this?” I folded my arms across my chest to make my point.

  Leonard's face becomes serious. “I'll try to find someone without making a fuss and leading your subjects to believe that you've gone mad.”

  I clench my jaw. “The only reason you have a king is because she saved me.”

  “Are those flowers for her?” Leonard smirks. “She really got you good.”

  I stretch my arms and circle him as I mumble, “Take care of your love life, and I'll take care of mine.”

  Leonard shouts, “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

  I don't even bother to look at him, but I shout back as I wave goodbye. “I'll be on the beach for a while.”

  Trekking along the path, I look at the emerald sea irradiated by the sunlight. In the afternoon, I plan to have a conversation with the head librarian. I'm sure he can find something more about the merfolk in our vast library.

  THREE DAYS! THAT WAS how many days I have been grounded. My father hasn't decided how many more days I should be locked up in my room. I keep swimming back and forth, confined to the walls of my sleeping quarters as my heart aches from being apart from my human lover. Meanwhile, I have plenty of time to play with the trinkets and clothes of the humans we’ve found in the trunks of the sunken ships. I need to be familiar with those if I plan to go on an excursion of the dry land. I play with the clothes that I know belong to the females. If I wear a dress like the statues we find in the submerged cities, I can go to shore, use my legs, and search for my human. Still, how can I find him if I don't speak the human language? Dad talks all of the languages. I covet his ability now, more than ever.

  “You need to eat.” Sybil's voice startles me because I didn't hear her come in.

  “I'm not hungry.” I float to my clamshell bed and rest against the mattress made of sea sponges and covered by a blanket of soft seaweeds.

  Sybil's expression changes from concerned to upset. “You are here because you disobeyed Dad's orders. Again,” she reiterates.

  I fold my arms and raise my chin. “I saved him. So, it was worth it.”

  My older sister leaves the seashell with my fish fillets and clams and floats to my side.

  Leaning against the mattress, she reminds me, “He's human. It doesn't matter if you fancy him. Dad would never allow you to be with him.”

  “Why not? My mom was human.”

  Sybil combs her fingers through her floating purple hair. “Your mom died a long time ago. They couldn't be together because he couldn't bring her to live here with us. How do you plan to live with your human?”

  I purse my lips and move closer. Whispering, I tell her what I discovered. “We can go to land. Our fishtail transforms into legs once it's dry.”

  Sybil's eyes grow wide. “I don't believe it.”

  “If we go to land, I can prove it.”

  My sister recoils and looks at her hands. “We aren't allowed. You know that.”

  “I think Dad doesn't want us to find out about this. But I need to get out, so I can find my human.”

  Her eyes snap to me. “We know nothing about the human culture and language. He may be with his kind and not even remember you anymore.”

  “He's mine. If I could talk his language, I could explain to him that we...”

  “Only the witch could...” Sybil covers her mouth.

  I squint my eyes. “The human witch in the crystal cavern?”

  She points her finger at me. “Don't even think about it. It's forbidden. Plus, you know that she doesn't do anything for free or from the goodness of her heart.”

  I shrug. “I've never asked her for anything.”

  Sybil bites her lower lip. “She'll want something that you can't give her. It's not wise.”

  I
blink and then look around. Bouncing up, I stare at the closed trunks. “We have trunks filled with human currency, gold, precious rocks, clothes.” Swimming forward, I open one and dig my hand into it, showing her the shining coins. “This means nothing to us. I'm sure I can convince her.”

  “Mirella! Mirella.” Dana interrupts my speech, entering my room at full speed. She stops in front of the bed and turns around to look for me. In her hand, there are a few flowers that only grow on dry land. The only time we see them is when the humans throw them into the ocean to honor their deceased ones.

  “What's wrong?” I ask as her eyes focus on me.

  Putting a hand on her chest, she says, “The beach where you left your human is covered with flowers.”

  Before I have the time to react to her words, Sybil gets up with a frown on her face. “Have you disobeyed Father?”

  Dana stutters, “I was cu-rious.”

  I swim to her side. “What did you see?”

  “Flowers. Hundreds of them.” She shows me the ones she brought. “They were pouring them into the ocean from the top of the cliff. I've never seen so many.”

  My hands fly against my chest as blood freezes in my veins. “Has someone died?”

  She shakes her head. “No one. I think it's for you. There were bottles with papers inside. I opened one and saw your image there. They can draw images on paper. But it dissolved when I dived in. I couldn't bring it to show you.”

  My heart overflows with happiness as I raise my arms above my head. “He's looking for me!”

  Sybil sways her tail slowly until she reaches me. “Calm down. Dad...”

  “I need to get out of here,” I whisper as I interrupt my sister and look around. “I need to put on one of these garments.”

  Her hands on my shoulders stop my movements, and I turn around to watch her. “Do you have any idea of what they would do to you if they capture you? You are a mermaid. They don't know about our existence. It can be a trick and it's not him. Men don't normally believe in the fairytales that sailors and fishermen tell about us...but, who knows?”

  “It's not like you know a lot about that, Sybil. Like me, you have been confined to our underwater kingdom, and Father doesn't let us go near the dry land.”

  “I know a lot more than you, Mirella. I'm older. A lot older than you. You are our little sister. We love you, but you need to control your excitement and mistrust humans.”

  Chapter 5—Reencounter

  DANA TELLS ME THAT my lover shows up at the beach every morning. So, I wait until the sun comes up.

  She's right. Moments later, I see him come down the rocky path with his eyes on the sea. The wind caresses his curly hair and glues the unlaced shirt against his ripped torso. His scarlet overcoat spread open puts on display how broad-shouldered he is. Mermen are big, but my human is bigger...and scarier. Even if I should fear him, all I notice is the softness in his gaze and the melancholy in his handsome face.

  Nervous, I nibble on my lip as he sits on the beach and throws pebbles at the water. The waves unfold before his feet. I hide behind a rock. He's even more handsome with the sunlight touching his tanned skin.

  Once the panic fades, I clear my throat and sing. Mermaids are known for their beautiful voice. We enthrall sharks, whales, and many sea monsters with our singing.

  He turns around and searches for me. I stop when our eyes meet. Placing my hair behind my ear, I swim closer. He walks towards me, splashing water and wetting his clothes. The surf prevents me from moving forward. He closes the distance, lowers down, and grabs me in his arms.

  I'm in paradise.

  My human lover takes me far away from the sea. I look back, worried. I need to return. Happiness fogs my reason. He has missed me as much as I’ve missed him.

  After seating me on his coat on the beach, he straightens up and removes his shirt. Bending over me, he makes me wear it. The fabric glues to my skin, and I can smell his musky and masculine scent. It feels warm and cozy.

  I hold my breath as our eyes meet, and I feel my temperature rise. He kneels, his gaze trailing down my figure. Moving my arm, I touch his face with my fingertips. Speaking is useless. I need him to understand how my chest vibrates when we are together. I take his hand and place it over my heart. He smiles. His hand places mine over his heart. It pulsates against my palm, and I lower my ear to listen. Maybe he understands what I'm trying to convey.

  As the sun dries my body, my breathing hitches, and pain shoots down my tail. I convulse and grab his shoulders. It hurts as if my skin is being ripped apart.

  When the pain stops, I feel two limbs dig into the sand.

  Looking at them, I move my legs and stumble. He holds me and speaks, apparently amused. Yet he helps me stand as I test my new limbs and try to coordinate my steps. Every time I stumble, he catches me. I become brave and try to walk without his help. I'll need a lot more practice if I plan to live with him on dry land.

  I only walk five steps before his hands secure my waist. I turn around and lace my arms around his torso. The sound of his beating heart soothes me, and his warmth tingles my skin as delight tugs at my heart.

  His hands trail a path down my spine, gently rubbing. He picks me up and takes me to where we were before.

  More sounds that I don't understand come out of his mouth. Still, his eyes show his feelings. His hands are kind when they rub my feet. They hurt and feel nothing like my tail. I need to understand how to move them and balance without falling. Looking down, I realize that my legs are beautiful like the ones of the statues we find underwater from long forgotten cities.

  I touch the softness of the hair covering his chest. His eyes are on my breasts. I move closer. My fingertips touch the rough hair on his face and draw patterns on his cheek and jaw.

  His mouth moves near, and I can feel his breath against my lips. When his lips lock with mine, I close my eyes and surrender to desire. His kiss is tender, and his hands open behind my back while our mouths touch. I feel my head spinning out of control and my heartbeat skyrockets. Still, I don’t want to stop. My body searches for more contact. My hands caress the hard muscles on his chest, and I gasp when his tongue rubs against mine. Heat spreads down my body, and I snake my arms around his neck until my breasts are pressed against his naked torso.

  Breaking the kiss, he trails kisses down my neck as his hand cups my breast. I pant and tilt my head back. His lips kiss my throat and his finger rubs my nipple. Heat explodes between my legs, and I long for him to kiss me everywhere.

  I grip my hands to the hard rock muscles on his arms and moan when his hand exposes my left breast to the cold air and the tip of his tongue flickers against my nipple. I’m completely undone when his mouth closes around my nipple, and he sucks it.

  What we are doing isn’t right. I know that. Yet I don’t want him to stop.

  His lips release my nipple, and his hand caresses my right breast. I whimper when he gives the same attention with his mouth to my other breast. My hand fists around his hair and I suck for air.

  His hand cups my chin, and his mouth meets mine. Our tongues intertwine and dance as I realize that I’ve never felt this happy before. I want him to consume me. I want to consume him. Noises leave his mouth as he spreads small kisses on my face and lips. He covers my upper body and places his hand against my heart. Blinking, I stare at him. His lips move, but his language is beyond my comprehension. He has kind eyes, and I can feel the tenderness and passion with each of his touches. Does he know we belong together?

  “I want to know everything about you?” I whisper, caressing his cheek.

  He smiles, and I lean closer to kiss him.

  Suddenly, there's another voice behind us. I startle, turn back, and see another man coming our way.

  My lover's hands try to hold me tighter, but I escape his embrace. Standing up, I step back and speed to the safety of the sea. I don't know how I make it, but I dive into a wave. My legs turn into a tail as soon as the water touches them. I sway my body, pro
pel my tail, and put distance between the beach and me.

  From afar, I turn around and see my lover in the water waving at me. He has shouted before, but I was too afraid to look.

  The other man is still, staring at the sea. They exchange words. My lover seems mad.

  With my heart in my mouth, I dive in and swim to my home.

  The next time I see him, I need to be able to tell him who I am and know who he is. I need to be sure that he won't sell me to someone like my dad has always told us. The merfolk are vulnerable on dry land. The Witch. I need to go to her and ask her what she wants in return for the ability to speak my lover's language.

  “I TOLD YOU SHE WAS real,” I say to Leonard who still has his mouth hanging open after seeing my mermaid. I clench my jaw and fight the need to punch him in the face for scaring my goddess away.

  “Her ta-il. Did you see her tail? And she had legs. I saw her running to the sea.”

  A wave crashes against my legs. I push Leonard away as I walk to the beach and the water releases my body. “Why did you have to scream? She was beginning to trust me. I was this close.” I show him my two fingers exacting the distance my mouth was from hers. My body is still tense with the overwhelming attraction.

  “I thought you were flirting with one of the commoners. In fact, I was sure that you had been delusional and the woman you talked about was one of the girls in the village.”

  I walk to my coat and pluck it off the ground. She took my shirt. Spinning around, I look at the ocean. There are no signs of her.

  What if she never comes back?

  I groan. “Why did you come here?”

  “I have important news.”

  I turn to look at my beta. “Spit it out.”

  “Our rescuing ships, they found Julian and more members of his crew.”

  “Are they alive?”

  “Yes. They are resting in the infirmary. They were dehydrated, but they are going to make it.”