1. Beneath The Waves

Just a quick note before the story starts. All of my stories are in a program on WP that generates ads between some chapters in the phone app. If you would take a moment to glance at them, I would greatly, greatly appreciate it. These chapters take 3-5 hours of my time, so please lend me a few seconds of yours as you enjoy the series :) 

Also, please give a BIG thank you to those who have done the app program so far. They’ve helped me bring this back so everyone can have it for free again. Please keep doing the  program so I can start bringing back even more stuff :) 

“Hey, Doc.”

Glancing up, I shielded my eyes from the dwindling sun.

“Yeah?”

“I can see something in the water. Wanna take the boat out? It might be what’s been tearing up my nets.”

My gaze roved over the seemingly deserted waves… but one could never really know what was under the smooth surface.

“Yeah. Let’s go out.”

Kenton, the captain of the main fishing vessel in the harbor, walked over to me, offering a hand, which I quickly shook. He was around thirty-five or so but looked a bit older due to the amount of time he had spent out on the boat every day. The man was an avid fisher and even went out during storms to make a promised quota.

“Wanna take the glass-bottom boat?”

I nodded and headed to the far end of the dock where he had the smaller vessel tied up. It was only about twenty feet long, but that was just big enough for small tour groups who were more interested in watching the wildlife than catching it. We both jumped down into the waiting boat, then I untied the craft as he started up the engine. It was a fairly quiet boat, too, so whatever was out there would hopefully not try to swim off at the sound of the small motor.

Kenton steered us away from the dock while I settled in one of the seats at the side, watching our progress through the see-through floor. The reef there was surprisingly well maintained, which made the water amazingly clear most days.

“Put the dimmers on,” I mumbled to him, my eyes still focused through the floor.

A faint green glow suddenly illuminated the reef seven feet below. So far I couldn’t see much, just a few larger fish coming out to hunt any smaller ones that hadn’t hidden fast enough within the corals. Even at night it was possible to see all the different colored creatures if you focused. The reef never really slept. There was always something moving about or waiting and watching.

“I have a net out about fifty yards north with some precaught stuff.”

“Hm, hoping to lure it out?”

“Hell yes, that thing’s been killing my profits this month.”

I gave a light chuckle before I caught sight of a large shadow darting beneath the boat.

“I see it.”

There was a slight splash about ten yards away a minute later, making Kenton cheer and reach for his rifle.

“You know it could just be a shark, they do move into the area at night to feed sometimes.”

“Nah, sharks don’t tear up my nets. They aren’t stupid… well, most of em.”

He set the large gun on his shoulder and closed one eye.

“Come on, you bastard, splash again.”

We waited with bated breath, our gaze roving over the small swells. After five minutes, he began to lower his gun, only to see a big splash right beside the net.

“You’re sushi, fish.”

He hefted the gun and quickly pulled the trigger, causing a huge, panicked splash as it seemed to hit whatever was beneath the water. Kenton yelled and pumped his fist in air with excitement.

“Hell yeah. That’s how it’s done, Doc.”

I laughed at his nickname for me as he set down his gun and got the boat headed toward whatever it was that he’d shot. I could barely see something decently large floating near the surface, it’s shadow making me guess that it was close to seven or eight feet long.

“It looks kind of like a dolphin.”

“Probably. It must be sick to try to mess with the nets. The things aren’t stupid, but when they’re hungry, they turn desperate.”

Rubbing the stubble on my chin, I nodded in agreement. I was a scientist that studied the local marine life, and I had seen several injured animals try to go after bait and nets in the past when they’d been too injured to hunt normally.

The creature thrashed about ten feet away, drawing our attention to its exact location. Ken quickly cut the motor and began circling it as he shouted back to me.

“Get the trawling net.”

I jumped up and did as told, but by the time I had it out of storage from beneath the floor and up to him, the creature was gone.

“Dammit all. Well, at least I definitely hit it. There’s blood in the water, and nothing lives long on a reef if it’s bleeding.”

“Yeah, it’ll probably be gone by tomorrow. Let’s head back.”

He grinned and nodded, revving the engine back to life before turning us around. When we got back to the docks, I tied the boat, then climbed up and out.

“Alright, thanks for coming out with me. I’ll see you tomorrow, man.”

“Yup. Have a good night.”

I waved and then walked over to an old white boat chair I kept a few feet from the edge of the dock. The sun wasn’t quite down yet so I decided to just relax and watch the waves. This was exactly where I loved being. Outside, near the amazing ocean. All of its animals, from the gigantic whale shark to the tiny clown fish, everything in the ocean held such fascination to me. It never got old, and I knew it never would.

A splash a good ways from the dock had me blinking open eyes that I hadn’t realized I’d let close. Ah, it was over by the net where Kenton had shot that animal. There were several shark fins circling the splashing creature, making my heart sink a little.

I wish we hadn’t had to shoot it. The poor thing is probably just starving.

It splashed one more time before disappearing beneath the waves. I thought it was dead, but the shark fins abruptly turned and began heading toward the dock. I jumped up from my seat and ran to the edge, looking down into the dark water just in time to see the creature dart beneath the planks under my feet. Several sharks followed, but they were generally small since the bigger ones couldn’t risk getting stuck in the shallow waters.

Thinking that the animal was probably going to beach itself to avoid predation, I quickly turned and ran back down the long dock. I didn’t agree with interfering in the natural order of things, but knowing where it would die meant I could come back once it had passed and collect tissue samples as well as figure out what had caused it to start feeding on things it normally wouldn’t. When I saw it splash over in the shallows, I grinned and hopped down into the sand. Curiosity drove me to run over to it, but what I saw there, being tugged on by tiny sharks and fish, was the most incredible thing I had ever seen.

“Beautiful…”

Giving a quick jerk of my head, I snapped my mind back into focus and ran forward, kicking the water and scaring off a good portion of the annoying little predators. Some of the fish tried to tug at my pants, but I ignored them and turned to the large creature struggling a few feet away. It was definitely afraid of me since it had tried to swim off as soon as I got into the water.

Smart. Never trust humans.

Unfortunately for the creature, it was way too injured to go very far without being intercepted by larger sharks. They were waiting in the ten foot water just barely offshore, leaving the wounded creature to literally pace in the shallows, dragging a trail of blood behind it. I knew I had decided to never get involved in what was supposed to happen when it came to wildlife, but… I bit my lip and ran back to the dock, grabbing the first casting net I could find before stumbling back along the sand, soaked shoes splashing and sinking into the shifting ground.

I have to get it out of there, or it is as good as dead.

When I noticed the creature blur past me in the shallows, I quickly ran into the water to about knee deep, then waited. The small splashes of excited fish told me where it was, even when it didn’t surface. So, when the fish started making a ruckus nearby, I counted to three and threw the net as hard as I could, then held on for dear life as it landed perfectly… and I was literally yanked off my feet and flew face-first into the water.

The net had fallen over the creature just right, but it managed to pull me about twenty feet along the shore before being forced to turn away because of predators. That’s when the net began to twist and tangle around the creature, letting me get to the surface and start pulling it toward the shore. Thankfully, it mostly took me parallel to the beach so we didn’t go into deeper water, but holy hell was it heavy . Add on the fact that it was thrashing around like crazy and I nearly didn’t make it back onto dry land with the thing.

At first, I promptly fell over, panting heavily as my body tried to regain some kind of stamina. When I could finally breathe without my vision blurring, I pushed myself to my feet and turned with a tired sigh. The creature was thumping its smooth gray tail against the damp sand, trying its best to get back to the water but just not having the energy to move its heavy body and get out of the tangled-up net. That wasn’t really what I was focusing on, though. No. I was much more interested in the fact that I was looking at a real, live merman.

“You are gorgeous.”

Its head snapped up abruptly so it could see me. The net blocked some of my view, but I could easily tell that it was a male by his looks and musculature. His eyes were a mix between dark blue and a brilliant bright purple as they stared at me in fear. The colors swam together like the ocean itself, nearly stealing my breath away.

The mer species was thought to have been extinct hundreds of years ago. Now there were only a few partial skeletons in the Smithsonian and I believe a museum in Britain. They shouldn’t exist…

…but I have a live one, right here.

My thoughts refocused when I heard a bubbling hiss from the young merman. He was holding his weight up slightly with his left arm, but his right one was bent and red was pooling in the sand around it.

Okay, so that’s where Kenton got it, but…

I let my gaze roam over the human portion of his body, my inner biologist hungry to get my hands on the three slits of large gills on his left torso that, no doubt, mirrored what his right side had. I had also noticed a few small slits just below his jaw on both sides, but I couldn’t focus on those things just yet. I needed to find the reason why he was tearing open dangerous fishing nets instead of catching fish in the open ocean. Giving my head a shake, I let a light chuckle slip from my lips and promptly got another hiss in response.

“Yeah yeah, I know. Terrible human and all. Caught me in big net. Very mean.”

I returned my gaze to his body, this time moving down along his tail fin. There were quite a few scars along its length, but that was normal for anything that lived among predators.

Tough male…

There were a few new reddening marks, likely from the sharks trying to get a bite of him, but I skipped those for the time being and continued downward. He flopped his tail a few times, I assumed to try to scare me, but that actually made the item that had likely caused him to start going after trapped fish flash in the moonlight.

“You’re hooked… badly.”

A giant shark hook was protruding two of its three spikes near the base of his fluke. The wound would normally not be too bad for an animal, but it looked infected and that would definitely cause the mer great pain. Well, being the idiot that I was, I took a few slow steps closer to him, then began kneeling down so I could get that hook out. Of course he snarled a warning, not too happy that I was getting anywhere near him. Bubbles began to foam through his gills right before he lunged, pushing himself just fast enough to make me have to jump back.

“Okay. Uh, that’s not going to work.”

I could just barely see his teeth as he panted. From some of my college research I did a while ago, I knew that mer had serrated teeth that looked fairly similar to humans but were made to tear apart fish quickly so that they could escape any possible predators their kill attracted. They tore off big chunks, swallowed them mostly whole, then bolted for cover.

Hmmm, wait a second.

With a slight grin, I turned and ran back toward the dock.

Sorry, Ken. Gotta steal some of your fish to feed the thief.

I snatched a big bucket he had made about two hours ago of freshly caught fish, no doubt to use for bait tomorrow. Oh well, he could just put another one together tomorrow ’cause I was hijacking this one. After grabbing the bucket and a knife, I ran back to the young male mer. He was still trying to look strong by flaring his gills and hissing, but it was blatantly obvious he was hurt. Well, that’s how it worked in the water. If you looked injured, you died.

I came to a stop a few feet from him and knelt down, leaning back on my heels as I grabbed a fish from the bucket. His demeanor immediately changed to one of cautious hunger. While he stared at the fish, I took another glance at his body and sure enough, he was really thin. There was no way I could just leave him there, he’d get dehydrated by the sun or, if he managed to get back into the water, he’d get eaten before sunrise or drown with the net on. I was just refocusing on his face when I felt the fish get snatched out of my hand.

Whoa! The guy is fast when he’s hungry.

Granted, he couldn’t really back up with his heavy body on the shifting sand, so instead of trying he just hissed at me again and bubbled a bit from his gills.

“Yeah yeah, I’m backing up.”

I did just that, scooting back on my knees and taking the big white bucket of fish with me. We were both generally silent as he tore into the small fish, devouring everything, including the bones, in less than five minutes. Oh wait, nope. He spit out the entrails… so most of the fish.

“Do you want another?”

He bristled up and hissed again, but I just rolled my eyes as I dug into the bucket and pulled out another morsel. Considering I had only moved back a foot or so, he didn’t have to reach far to grab the offered fish. It, too, disappeared in mere minutes. This time, though, the young male pushed himself closer to the bucket, easily knocking it over to reveal the twenty-something fish inside. The way his eyes lit up with excitement had me scooting away a little more. He watched me as he ate the next two fish, but on the third, he simply dug in, obviously not minding my presence as much as he was minding filling his empty belly.

Well, maybe this is my chance.

Being as quiet as I could, I carefully got myself up and, after nudging my shoes off, walked around toward his tail. The mer was so focused on eating—I think he was even working on two at the same time right now—that I was able to squat down right next to his injured fluke. It had long since stopped bleeding, but all around the hook was a blackjsh color, showing that an infection had set in a while ago, definitely not good. I really wanted to go home and get my dissection kit so I could cut it out without doing more damage, but I highly doubted he was going to sit still for it.

Guess I’m going with the basic grab-and-yank-and-hope-he-doesn’t-eat-you plan!

I grinned and mentally called myself an idiot before promptly grabbing the hook and pulling as hard as I could. Of course the thing didn’t come out fast like I’d hoped, and, yup, there was now an extremely pissed-off merman trying to eat my face! We spun in circles for several minutes before I could finally give another sharp tug, and thank god! It came out with a good amount of dead tissue, sending me stumbling back a few yards before I tripped, turned, and face-planted into the sand.

Okay… that went well?

2. Bringing A Surprise Home

Spitting out a mouthful of sand, I pushed myself up. The waves were nudging at my ankles as the tide began to come in, but aside from that little issue, I was all fuckin’ smiles.

“Got it!”

Jumping up to my feet, I turned and splashed over to the mer, only to notice that he was missing his tail! He was lying on his belly in the surf, watching me like a hawk.

“Then the rumors were true. Your kind can somehow change into humans for camouflage.”

I would have stared longer if the waves weren’t seriously moving in. Guess it was time to go… with a merman.

Hmm, but how to get the darn thing into my truck without being bitten?

“Okay, I need to get you into a truck… that’s in the parking lot. Without you biting my head off.”

Considering he wasn’t going anywhere, I decided to quickly run up the beach to get my truck. Thank god it was pretty useful in sand. I had some pretty nice tires that made driving on the beach a piece of cake.

The run back up to the parking lot killed my feet with the constant shifting sand beneath them, but as soon as I got there, I climbed into my truck and started carefully driving my way down toward the mer. There were only a few paths, which led back down to the waterline, that were safe to use, and if a driver didn’t go along the sandy gravel roads, their car often got stuck and that was one towing nightmare I didn’t want to have to deal with… for a third time.

What? I rush when something in the water catches my interest.

Well, this time I actually took the darn slow path so I was able to get within a few yards of the guy without getting stuck. With a slightly frustrated huff, I jumped down from my silver Durango and hurried to scoop the mer out of the encroaching waves. He thrashed a little and sank his teeth into my upper left arm, but I still managed to get him into the back of the truck, then slammed the back part into place before he could do a thing about it. Once he was in, I yanked the black tarp-like covering I used to seal up the bed and snapped it down so, hopefully, the mer didn’t manage to get out. Just in case, though, I jumped back in the cab and drove as fast as I could after getting through the sand, speeding straight toward home.

When I was forced to stop at a light, I fished my phone from my back pocket and dialed my roommate’s number. He was going to be the biggest hurdle to getting this guy back into the ocean once he was healed.

“Hnn… Park? You know I sleep during the day.”

“It’s almost eight o’clock.”

“Fine. What do ya want?”

The light turned green, and I carefully eased my truck to accelerate. The whole drive I was trying to be sure that I didn’t jar the mer too much since he was already injured badly enough as it was.

“I, uh. Well. I’ve got a um…”

“Spit it out. Three seconds.”

“I-I’m bringing home something you can’t tell anyone about.”

“Well, that’s descriptive.”

“Dammit, just get the pool ready. You don’t have anything in it right now, right?”

“Of course not. Just the fish I’ve been working on for the past month or two. Nothing important or anything.”

The sarcasm in his voice had my eyes rolling.

“Listen, just… I need the pool, and I’m going to be back in like, ten minutes. So please, just, I don’t know, have the back door open at least so I can get inside quickly?”

“Fine, but you’re cooking dinner tonight and it better not mess with my experiment.”

“Tch, fine. Bye.”

I hung up before he could tell me what exactly I would be cooking, but knowing Jay, it was going to be the most complex meal he could find with the poor amount of ingredients we usually kept in the fridge. After four more lights and a few turns down narrow streets, I finally pulled my silver truck into a long, half-moon driveway, then straight into the backyard. I could hear an angry shout from the front as Jay ran after me to complain about his beautiful lawn, but hmph, it was far more important that I park right next to the pool area. As I was pulling to a stop, he ran around to the driver’s side and slammed his fist against my window several times, making me growl in annoyance.

Don’t damage my truck!

I shoved the door open, forcing him to jump back or get smacked in the face, hard.

“I know you’re pissed about your yard.”

“Pissed? I just had it redone Saturday.”

Well, at least he had three days to enjoy not having tire tracks in it?

“Will you just open the damn door to the pool area, please?”

As I spoke, I was quickly making my way around to the back of my truck. He followed, of course. He couldn’t just do what I asked him to… ever.

“Listen, I’ll give you twenty dollars if you just open the damn screen door.”

That made him stop babbling for a moment, and, amen! He ran over and pulled the thing open. I got the snaps off the back part and tossed the tarp somewhere behind me on the ground to retrieve later. Right then, my full attention was focused on getting the bleeding mer out of the darn net and into my arms. When I hopped down from my truck with the mer, I could literally feel my roommate’s eyes on me from where he stood just inside the pool area. I glanced sideways at him as I ran inside, and it looked pretty much like his jaw was on the ground in shock.

“Wh-What are you doing w-with some random dude?”

Ignoring him for the moment, I literally jumped into the pool with the mer in my arms. The action drew a screech from Jay, but screw his experiment. That sounded mean after he’d reset his sleeping schedule and gotten up at odd hours of the night to work on it for the past two months, but this was more important. When I surfaced, without the mer, Jayson literally flipped.

“Dude, what the fuck? Get the guy out of there. Jesus, he was bleeding. Th-There’s blood everywhere. What are you doing? He’s gotta go to the hospital. Oh damn, did you kill him? A-Are you trying to feed him to my fish or something ’cause I swear I’m one second away from calling the police.”

Sigh.

Swimming over to the edge, I quickly pulled myself up and out of the water, being sure to get a few feet away and out of reach of the mer before finally turning to talk to Jayson.

“Look. If you call the cops, then he will be dead.”

My roommate stomped over, nicely muscled arms crossing over his well-defined chest.

What? He looks good… but he definitely doesn’t bat for my team.

“L-Look, you know that thing that I didn’t want you to tell anyone about?”

His brows rose, but he slowly nodded.

“U-Uhm… w-well… he’s a… um…”

His eyes narrowed slightly, making me quickly spit out the word I dreaded saying to him.

“M-Mer.”

Jay’s entire demeanor went lax. Of course he didn’t believe me. Hell, I wouldn’t even believe myself if I hadn’t been the one to catch it. When I returned my attention to him, I realized he was striding toward the pool with a determined but pissed-off look on his face.

“W-Wait. It’s dangerous.”

Especially since it’s hurt.

He turned around a few feet from the water, making me almost stumble into him. His hands grabbed my shoulders, preventing us from colliding but also keeping me where I stood.

“I know you’re pissed about me taking over the pool for three months, but dammit, couldn’t you come up with something less dangerous than hurting a damned guy just to ruin my experiment?”

“I-I-I didn’t hurt him. He was being attacked by sharks a-and then Ken shot him.”

Err, that didn’t seem to have helped the situation, judging from the new disgusted look on Jay’s face.

“H-he’s not a damn human.”

Jay growled and shoved me back a few steps so he could get the ‘body’ out of the pool, but when he turned, I knew he saw it too. The mer was awake now, and his eyes loomed just above the surface, glaring at us. My roommate seemed hesitant for a moment, but then he straightened up again and stomped over to the edge of the pool. When he pointed at the mer and began yelling, I kinda, well, snickered.

“You! Get out of there, now. Obviously this was some stupid prank, and thanks to you agreeing to it, my experiment is going to have to be redone.”

I watched as the mer began to make the water around his head bubble, no doubt doing something similar to hissing right beneath the surface. Actually, I could almost hear it, even over the loud chirps and croaks of the nightlife in the pond near the forest line in the backyard.

“J-Jay… you need to back up. This isn’t a joke. He’s really a m—?”

His fist connected with my right eye, knocking me to the ground from sheer surprise.

H-He just.

I wanted to yell at him, but when I noticed the mer beginning to reach for his leg, I swallowed my anger and jumped forward, grabbing his arm and yanking just in time to keep him from being dragged backward into the pool. He ended up off-balance and falling right on top of me, but he was smart enough to jerk his head toward the sound of a now, very audible hiss.

“Holy… shit.”

“It’s usually not holy, but indeed. I told you I wasn’t lying.”

He looked from me, to the mer clawing at the concrete, then back to me.

“You weren’t… lying.”

“Again, no.”

While on any other occasion I would be milking this situation to keep him where he was since he was basically my dream guy with a permanent dirty blond bed head, soft brown eyes, and a body to match any model in a Calvin Klein magazine ad, this definitely wasn’t the time for that, though.

“Um…”

Jayson looked down at me, then quickly jumped to his feet, easily pulling my smaller body up without much effort seconds later.

“Sorry… and uh, sorry, too, about punching you.”

We were both silent for a moment before turning our attention back to the mer. He had receded back into the water, but his short dark hair and eyes were still visible mixed within the seaweed that floated atop the murky water in the pool.

“So… uh, can he walk?”

“No. At least, I doubt it. I pulled a seriously big shark hook out of his tail fin, and when he changed back, his right foot was just as injured.”

He whipped his gaze toward me in shock.

“Y-You grabbed its tail?”

“Uh, not my brightest idea? But I had to get it out. His tail is badly infected. He had been ripping open Ken’s nets to get food, but he’s still definitely underweight.”

“Yeah, I noticed that. Okay, so, you said Ken shot him, too?”

Jay sighed, running a shaky hand through his spiky blond hair. He was a scientist, one of the best marine ones I knew, but he definitely didn’t look the part most of the time.

“Yeah, he got his right shoulder… and the mer got my left, haha.”

He glanced down, easily finding the bite marks on my left arm. Jay grabbed said arm, just below the bite, and promptly yanked me inside through the open sliding glass door.

“This needs to be disinfected immediately, you idiot.”

I was stumbling to keep up as fatigue set in. My body was tired after having just done a lot more physical activity than normal in such a short period of time. I’m pretty sure Jayson could tell as he nudged me to my knees and forced me to lean over the bathtub, arm extended beneath the warming water from the faucet.

“You really need to come to the gym with me some time. You’re practically falling over from exhaustion.”

I had to rest my forehead on the cold porcelain to keep my mind awake enough to respond coherently.

“You always say that.”

“And you never listen—peroxide.”

My body instantly tensed, but that was the only warning I got as he poured a good amount onto my injured arm.

“Hsss, owwww.”

“Oh hush, man up a little. This stuff barely feels like a bug bite.”

“Dick.”

“Yup, I got one. You may be missing yours, though. Haven’t seen it in a while.”

My cheeks flushed at his words, and I was silently thankful that the lights weren’t on in the bathroom.

“Alright, hold your arm there for a sec.”

“Yes, mom,” I groaned, snickering even as he smacked the back of my head. I felt him begin to bandage my arm as silence fell between us. His hands were gentle but made sure that the bandage was secure after each wrap.

“You know… if he has such bad injuries, he may die soon.”

A tired breath slipped from my lips as I replied quietly. “I know, but I just couldn’t leave him on the beach.”

“Many people would pay good money to have him.”

My head jerked up, eyes glaring into the dim light at Jay. “We are not selling him to be experimented on.”

“Parker.”

My breath hitched as he said my name, making me unable to interrupt him as he continued to speak.

“You said it yourself, his tail injury is very infected. We can’t help him with that, especially considering how aggressive he is.”

I knew he was telling the truth, and it sucked, because I didn’t want to hear it. I was hoping he’d say that the mer would be fine now that it was out of the ocean, but it was a known fact by marine biologists that if you take something out of the ocean and bring it into captivity, there was a high likelihood that it won’t survive. When I didn’t reply, he gave my head a soft pat and stood up, helping me back to my feet so we could go check on the mer.

“Think about it tonight. I don’t doubt that he’ll unfortunately get experimented on, but at least if you pick the right place, they’ll take care of him and be sure he isn’t mistreated.”

Stepping out onto the patio, I took in a deep breath of the humid night air and nodded.

“I’ll give it some thought.”

Jay nodded over his shoulder at me, then returned his attention to the pool. It was kind of funny that he would be the voice of reason. Heck, in most cases, he always was, even though I was five years older at twenty-six. Stepping up next to him, we watched the mer watch us, an unspoken excitement moving between Jayson and me.

“I’ll give you two days, Park. His foot looked really bad, so either we need to find a way to sedate him and get a doctor who won’t snitch in to help him, or he needs to go somewhere that can possibly save his life.”

My head bobbed slowly with a nod of acknowledgement before I felt his right arm wrap around my shoulders and pull me against his side in a comfortable side-hug.

“Go get some rest, okay? I’ll take a rain check on dinner… and I promise I won’t call anyone tonight. And, since your boy just ruined my experiment, I suppose I’ll watch him until you wake up.”

There was a loud splash in the pool suddenly, then a faint patch of darkness spread to the surface. I glanced up at Jay with a hesitant smile, getting a roll of his eyes in response.

“I’m just going to pretend he didn’t just eat one of my important, imported, research fish.”

Giving a quiet chuckle, I wrapped my arms around him for a quick hug before darting back inside for some much needed sleep.

3. What Doesn’t Kill You

My mind just couldn’t relax enough to let me sleep for more than an hour or so, and when I awoke, I felt pretty much like crap. Forcing my body to sit up, I rubbed at my eyes and glanced sideways at the alarm clock on my old wooden nightstand. It was flashing one o’clock.

Oh… right. Never reset it after the power flickered the other day.

Groaning, I leaned over and pressed the reset button on it before sliding out of bed. My right eye was throbbing, and the bite on my arm wasn’t feeling the best, either, but I would just deal with it. Scientists got injured in the field all the time, whether it be by rabid mermen or pissed off roommates. It’s a dangerous, dangerous profession. Since I wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon, I stifled a yawn and trudged outside after a quick stop in the bathroom and kitchen. Jayson, of course, had his trusty clipboard out, and from the looks of it, he had been doing quite a bit of observing. Giving a sleepy smile, I tapped the cold can of root beer I’d gotten from the fridge against his bare shoulder, making him jump from surprise. Heh, he always got obsessively focused when he was working.

“Here.”

Jay’s brows rose as he took the can and popped the lid, chugging a good amount before belching loudly into his free hand. Okay, he wasn’t the best with his mannerisms, but root beer burping was much better than when he actually got real beer into his system. Let’s just say that I was guilty of throwing away more than a few of his beers while he was out.

“How’s he doing?”

He gestured toward the water with his root beer can before taking another long drink. My attention stayed on the water, looking for the mer. There were a few ripples in the far right corner, telling me that he had likely just dove under when I came outside. It was a good thing we had our pool modified for experiments, or it would definitely be too small for the merman to move around in. As it was, Jay and I had put our money together, a good forty thousand, along with some grant cash, and had the bottom of the pool dropped an extra ten feet and the sides expanded a couple in either direction. The final measurements were somewhere around sixteen feet deep with a length of twenty feet and a width of twelve. The size alone was great, but once it was finished we worked our arses off transplanting sand and underwater plants. Everything in the pool was alive except for a few small rock formations that Jayson had wanted to bring in for his fish to be able to hide behind.

“Oh yeah, there’s only one of my research fish left. I’m pretty sure it’s Bubbles, and he’s hiding behind the rocks on the left side.”

Oops.

I suddenly felt bad about my mer eating most of his fish, but there wasn’t anything I could really do about it. It’s not like the mer was going to listen if I told it to stop. Hell, considering the way he was acting at the beach, I wouldn’t be surprised if he would eat a human if given the chance. A disgruntled splash made me blink out of my thoughts. Err, another pool of blood began to spread along the top, and I heard a tired sigh next to me.

“Rest in peace, little Bubbles,” Jayson whispered solemnly. I licked my lips and shifted my weight a little.

“Sorry… but hey, weren’t you going to eat them after the experiment anyways?”

He glared over his shoulder at me, and I quickly bit my lip to keep from smirking.

“ That is beyond the point. Anyways, since you’re up, you better start calling around. Do you know any good doctors or vets that might be able to dart him and work in this setting? ’Cause, as cool as he is, I’m not letting him inside the house to tear it, and us, up.“

I fished my phone from my pocket, having completely forgotten to even take my pants off before I passed out. Thankfully, it still had two bars of battery left. Plopping my butt down in one of the extra folding chairs we had for pool observation, I flipped open the old thing and dialed the one person I could think of who might be able to keep our mer a secret but still treat his injuries.

“Parker, it’s almost eleven.” A grouchy voice on the other end grumbled as he picked up the phone.

“Oh, my bad, I thought it was noon.”

“What do you want, brat?”

“I’m twenty-six years old.”

“Five years under me and you always call me at the worst times.”

“Hmph. Put the magazine down and pull up your pants, I need your help.”

“I don’t bat for your team. Sorry, bud.”

“Dammit, I caught something earlier today that needs medical attention immediately.”

“So take it to the research center. I’d like to sleep. Unless the thing you caught has something to do with the thing between your legs… then you better go to the hospital and never tell me what it is that you’ve ‘caught’.”

“It’s not that. A-And I can’t.”

“Why? I swear if you caught another injured dolphin, I’m gonna give you the ‘don’t interfere with nature’ speech again.”

“Um… well… it’s uh… half… dolphin?”

The phone beeped, then nothing, letting me know that he’d just hung up on me.

“That sounded like it went well.”

My gaze cut across to Jayson before I hit redial. Thankfully, Oliver answered again, and this time I intended not to beat around the bush.

“Oliver, man, please. Come over here and help me.”

“With what? Your half-a-dolphin? I’m not interested in doing autopsies.”

“It’s not dead, dammit. But it will be soon if you don’t get your ass over here.”

Oliver was just grumbling a reply when he was silenced by a loud, bubbling hiss from the mer that was now surfaced about eight feet away from where I sat.

“What… is that sound?”

“Um, it’s uh, the thing I need your help saving?”

“That doesn’t sound like something you’d find in the ocean… let alone a dolphin.”

“It definitely belongs in the ocean, and it’s going to die if you don’t get your ass over here right now.”

“Fine, damn. But if this is a joke, I swear I’m going to give you a black eye.”

“I’ve already got one, but sure, you can make the other match, now come over.”

Before he could respond, I hung up and tossed my phone on the table to my left where all of the notes and testing equipment for Jayson’s previously eaten experiment was.

“He sounded happy.”

“Meh, it’s not like I could just say what I had. If he decided to blab, it’s better that he’s here so I can at least tie him up or something to keep him from talking.”

That made Jayson spit root beer all over the concrete, and the back of my head. I turned in my seat to yell at him, but the guy was in stitches, laughing and coughing at the same time.

“You deserve to choke on that soda.”

“B-But… hahaha… y-you… Hah… aahahaha… tie someone… hahaha! Yeah… hah… right.”

If the idiot wasn’t right, I’d have probably smacked the back of his head. As it was, I grabbed the can and dumped the small amount of soda left right on top of his head.

“Awwww, man. Really, Park?”

The skidding of tires on grass a moment later made Jay blanch, and I smirked.

“Sweet, he’s here.”

Glad he lives only a few doors down.

I hopped up and ran over as a second truck, this one dark red, came to a stop right by the pool screen. Oliver jumped out in a pair of light blue scrub pants and a baggy white shirt. Haha, he’d obviously begun changing to be professional, then stopped caring. His hair was a light blond and, as always, was pulled back into a surprisingly neat small ponytail. I quickly let him in, but the second he stepped past the barrier, the mer let out another loud bubbling hiss and made Oliver stop in his tracks.

“Wh-What the… hell?”

His eyes were beginning to bug out, and his entire face paled.

“He looks like he’s about to pass out…” Jay mumbled behind me.

Shit.

Grabbing the guy, I dragged him over until I could shove him into the chair I had been using, then I stood in front of him to block his view of the mer. Thankfully, that snapped him out of his shock. When he looked up at me, I shrugged and stepped aside so he could see it again.

“You… you caught a blasted merman.”

The creature had its arms up over the edge of the pool, claws grasping at the porous concrete and making little scratching sounds as it slowly slid back into the water. Oliver was gripping the edge of the chair so hard that his knuckles were beginning to turn white.

“Um… Oliver, we really need you to dart him. He’s got a really bad injury that’s kind of an emergency.”

He looked up at me, then back to the mer, then back to me.

“Are you kidding me? He needs to go to the research institute, now.”

N-No.“

He jumped up, but I quickly shoved him back down, doing my best to block him from being able to get up again. In fact, I dropped right into his lap just to be sure.

“They’ll experiment on him there. I-I just want to help him heal, then get him back to the ocean.”

“Park, seriously, man. This is like, the scientific breakthrough of the century. You have a god damned merman in the freaking swimming pool behind you.”

“I know that. But come on. You see his behavior. He’s completely wild, and hell, he already bit me so he’s obviously not going to allow anyone near him without sedation. He would be drugged half the time and left bored in a bland pool the rest. He doesn’t deserve that, and if he’s here, there has to be another since he’s so young. Please, Oliver, can you just sedate him and try to treat his wounds? I-I don’t want him to be tortured for the rest of his life when we could help him get back to the water he belongs in.”

We were both silent as we stared each other down, wanting the other to bend their will and agree to whatever the other was asking of them. Eventually he shook his head, then gave a deep, tired sigh.

“I’m extremely tired, or I would fight you harder on this. Anyways, we’ll talk about it again tomorrow once I’ve rested, but for now, help me get my stuff out of the back.”

I got off him and went out to his truck so I could grab his huge medical bag while he got the dart gun. He never had it loaded, though, just in case someone took it and tried to use it for something they shouldn’t. So, when I set his bag down near the folding chairs, he fished out a few darts, eyeing them before glancing over at the mer.

“What weight would you think he was close to?”

“Uh, good question… his upper half is probably close to someone who’s around one hundred forty, maybe fifty, but he’s got a good amount of muscle, even though it doesn’t show a whole lot on the outside. His tail is pretty darn heavy, too. That’s what I struggled with when I was dragging him onto the beach, so I would guess there is close to another one hundred and fifty there.”

“Heavier than I thought one would be.”

“Well, he does gain legs when he’s out of the water and that definitely drops his weight a bit, somehow, but I’m not gonna call dibs on pulling him out of the water awake.”

“Touché,” Oliver noted.

“Alright, we’ll try a two hundred fifty dart first and see how he handles it. I don’t want to overdose him when we have no idea what his body’s reaction to the drug will be.”

“Got it.”

He loaded a dart with a fluffy blue end into the gun, latched it, then got to his feet.

“He’s definitely not a shy one, that’s for sure.”

I looked over at the mer and grinned.

“No, he’s actually a bit of an asshole, but I would be too if I’d had a huge shark hook in my tail fin and a bullet in my arm.”

Oliver raised a brow as he lifted the gun to his shoulder so he could aim.

“Let me guess, this was the thing taking Ken’s fish?”

“Yup, and he shot it.”

“Bastard has good aim.”

“Unfortunately for the mer.”

He nodded, then lowered his gun slightly.

“I’ve got a shot, get ready.”

I looked at him in confusion, but he simply continued, “I’m not going for a swim with a carnivorous dolphin-guy, sorry. You’re pulling him out once he’s unconscious.”

“Hmph. Whatever, just get him darted.”

Oliver grinned and slowly squeezed the trigger. The shot itself was almost silent, but the second it hit the merman, the creature screeched and splashed beneath the surface.

“Pretty sure I got it in its right shoulder.”

We both waited a minute before slowly approaching the murky pool. The mer had drifted down to the bottom and seemed to be floating on the sand. Every few seconds, his tail gave a weak pump, but he looked pretty darn out of it.

“Wow, that worked a lot faster than I thought it would. He shouldn’t need any more if he’s already mostly out,” Oliver stated.

“Okay, I’ll go get him now?”

Oliver looked at the mer for another minute before nodding. I took that gesture as a ‘go ahead’ and tossed off my clothes, except for my boxers, and walked down the few steps into the dark water. The pool still had a light from the original version, but we never turned it on because the water was just too murky to be of any use and it often disoriented the fish.

“He’s still right here on the bottom, just swim over to where I am, then dive down.”

“Got it.”

I slowly moved through the pool, feeling my feet nudge against tall underwater grasses and floating seaweed. When I got to Oliver, he handed down a pair of basic goggles, and I quickly tugged them on.

“Thanks.”

“No problem, he hasn’t moved so you should be good.”

I noticed Jayson right behind him and nodded to them both before I took a deep breath and dove. Even with the goggles on, it was still really hard to see beneath the water’s surface. It didn’t help that it was late and the sun had long since gone down. As I swam closer, I did my best to keep my shadow from falling over him so that I didn’t hinder my vision of the mer any further. I probably should have. If I had let him see my shadow cast upon him sooner, I might have had a chance to get to the surface before he reached out and snatched my left ankle in a grip that nearly broke it. The sharp pain made me gasp, consequently letting out the small amount of oxygen left in my lungs, which in turn induced an immediate panic response. Struggling was the worst thing to do when caught by a wild animal, but my brain wasn’t thinking about anything but getting free and to the surface.

I could hear muffled shouts from above as I was dragged through the pool. My right cheek met the first rock formation, hard, then a moment later, I felt the second one crash into my ribs as the mer took a sharp turn and pumped its tail with powerful strokes. It took an abrupt dive after clearing the rocks and dropped us the full depth of the pool before finally releasing my numbing ankle. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough energy to really worry about any of my injuries, let alone to try to get back to the surface for air by then.

I’m going to die…

That was the last thing I could think of before I was pulled into the darkness.

“I-I think I got him back.”

Something felt like it was pulling my hair out, and the strong sting of seawater coming up burned my raw throat as it triggered a gruff cough. Something soft moved from against my mouth right as the water started overflowing my lips.

“Turn him.”

I was suddenly yanked over as I hacked up a good few mouthfuls of salty water… along with whatever acid was in my stomach. It only took a minute or two to empty my system, but as I was tugged up against something solid, all I could think about was needing relief from the immense burning in my throat and lungs.

“You’re okay…”

My mind slowly began to get my senses back in order, allowing me to figure out I was in someone’s arms and they were beginning to rub my back soothingly. I took a small breath to try to speak, but all I heard was a quiet whine come from my mouth. That sound was quickly followed by my body being pulled up a little more, this time into a gentle hug.

“It’s okay. You’ve got some nasty scrapes and bruises, but a few days off your feet should take care of them.”

Whoever is talking sounds so worried… but I can’t remember what happened.

The whole thing was like a blur after my ankle was grabbed and I hit that first formation of rocks. My vision had darkened, then blacked out completely after I was released. Moments later, everything just slipped away. The only thing that I remembered right before losing consciousness was the sensation of floating. My whole body had been drifting without a care in the world, without a need to go anywhere or do anything. My heart had thumped a slow pattern that I had felt throughout my whole, tired body. It pulsated just beneath my skin, telling me that it couldn’t hold on for much longer.

“He’s starting to shake, I’m going to get him inside.”

“Go ahead. Clean him off in the bathroom before treating his injuries. Then get him dressed in several layers to warm him up and prevent shock.”

I felt myself being lifted into the same strong arms that had been hugging me as the two men continued to speak.

“Are you going to be okay with the mer?”

“Yes, I’ve tied up its hands and feet since they changed when he was finally completely out, and I’ve got the dart gun right next to me. Go tend to Parker before he gets worse.”

“Okay.”

I felt myself being carried but began drifting in and out as time passed. Warmth took over the chill in my body, then something was tugged over my legs and head before I was wrapped up in a thick blanket. Some other things happened, but I dozed through them until I felt the familiar softness of my bed beneath my body. It was only seconds later when I passed out from exhaustion.

(This book is temporarily on Amazon’s KDP program under T. Kierei. Please consider purchasing it if you like it so far!)

4. Putting Two and Two Together…Fast

“Parker?”

“Hey, Park, need you awake, man.”

I moved a little in my bed, or at least began to. Pain jolted up my leg from my ankle, and my ribs smarted just as badly.

“There you are. Thought I’d have to kiss you to get you up.”

“you and… your stupid… gay jokes, Oliver.”

“You know it. Anyways, your roomie’s outside, so you don’t need to worry about him finding out.”

“He’s so dense, I doubt he’d figure it out even if I set up a huge flashing sign in our living room stating the obvious.”

“Hey, guys, stating what obvious?” Jayson asked as he walked into the room.

I grumbled under my breath and let my good eye blink open.

“That you’re the biggest dork I’ve ever met.”

His brows rose into his messy bangs as he quirked a tired smile. Huh… his eyes were rimmed with dark circles and his complexion was pale.

“Are you okay?”

I tried to sit up, but my body just wouldn’t have it.

“Yeah, you, on the other hand, look like someone painted you purple.”

Oliver rolled his eyes as he picked up a big black bag.

Ah, his medical supplies.

“I’ll just leave you two alone and go watch the mer.”

“O-Oh! What happened earlier? I-I remember him dragging me around, but then I passed out.”

Jayson chuckled a little, his shoulders rising and falling with the action while he got himself settled on the edge of my bed. He lifted his right hand toward me but then let it drop back down as he began to speak.

“Well, he definitely grabbed you and pulled you around the pool. You hit both rock formations, one got your cheek, the other hit your ribs.”

Well, that explains why my chest hurts so badly and my face stings.

“I guess he hurt my ankle, too, since that’s definitely not feeling so great.”

“Yeah, Oliver checked it, though, and it’s not broken. It’s likely sprained pretty well so you need to stay off of it for a few days.”

I snickered, getting a glare in response.

“You’re just going to ignore him, of course.”

“Of course. Um, so, did you guys get the mer’s injuries treated?”

“Yeah. As he was pulling you around the pool, Oliver managed to get another dart in him, which is probably why he released you.”

I nodded. That made sense.

“I dove in as soon as the mer began floating upward and pulled you out. Then, uh, CPR happened, but I’m not going into those details…”

He made a face, making my heart give an extra thump against my sore ribs. He had kissed me, and I hadn’t even been awake for it.

“Anyways, Oliver and I got the mer out of the water once he changed back from the drugs. Oliver said he was likely closer to three hundred and fifty pounds, considering the amount of drugs he had to use, not the two fifty we had assumed. That’s probably why the first shot didn’t knock him out. When he swam to the bottom, he was likely just trying to get away from the possibility of being shot again.”

I gave a slight nod before giving the prospect of sitting a second go. Thankfully, this time I was able to, with some help from Jayson.

“Okay, um, did you guys put the mer back in the water?”

“No. He’s tied up against one of the support beams on the patio.”

My eyes went wide, mouth opening to start talking, but Jay slapped his hand over it before I could get a word out.

“We haven’t put him back because we can’t treat his injuries very quickly if he keeps getting the bandages wet. Hell, he’d probably tear all the bindings off if he got the chance.”

“True, so uh, has he shown any issues yet? I’d think he’d be dehydrating out of water fairly quickly…”

“Well, yes. He definitely needs water, but he keeps knocking away the watering pail when we try to give him some.”

My face deadpanned. They had been trying to give him water with a spout from a stupid watering can?

“That’s humiliating…”

“He probably doesn’t even know the difference. And besides, it’s not like we can untie him or use a glass. He bit you for god sakes.”

“Yeah yeah, just help me get up, will you?”

Jayson grumbled but wrapped my left arm around his shoulders and got me to my feet. My legs were pretty shaky, but thankfully he took most of my weight as we gradually made our way to the kitchen.

“Hmm, so he hasn’t drank anything you guys have offered yet?”

“No. We did turn the hose on so water could at least run past where he sat, so his legs could get wet.”

“Okay, let’s see…”

I opened the fridge, grinning when I saw a big grouper fillet.

“H-Hey, that’s mine. That stuff’s expensive.”

Reaching in, I grabbed the package of fish and got busy unwrapping it.

“I’ll buy you another.”

“You already owe me twenty dollars and a dinner.”

“Put it on my tab.”

“Hmph.”

I busied myself getting the fish cleaned and cut up, leaving the scales on since it seemed like the mer ate everything from what I could remember when I fed him on the beach. Except for the entrails, of course. It only took a few minutes to get the whole thing cut up into small chunks, giving me around twenty or so pieces.

“So… I’ve got an idea for a name.”

“No.”

“Wh-What? Why?”

His whining tone wasn’t going to sway me. Not. At. All.

“Because.” I turned, carrying the bowl I’d put the cut up fish in toward the patio doors.

“You named your oh-so-important research fish Bubbles, Sushi, Lunch, and Dinner.”

“Aw, come oooon. Those are fish names.”

“Yeah… one.”

“Hmph, well, what do you want to name him then?”

I grabbed the sliding patio door and shoved it open, noticing the mer tied to the pole a few feet away immediately perk up from the sound. His nostrils flared seconds before he focused on the bowl in my hand.

“I think Callem would be good.”

“Really, man? I can’t name my fish Sushi, but you name your merman freaking Calamari?”

I flinched, trying to hide a grin as I sat down just out of reach of the mer.

“It’s spelled differently.”

“Oh, that changes everything. Hmph.”

Glancing over my shoulder, I grumbled at him.

“Go shower or something. He’s my mer, and I’ll name him what I want.”

I heard him stomp off, shutting the door and locking it. Too bad for him that Oliver opened it a moment later.

“Hey, are you gonna feed him?”

He sat down next to me, crossing his legs on the concrete. I didn’t mind him watching, but the mer evidently did. He began hissing the second Oliver sat down, no longer interested in the food with him there.

“Um, you may want to just watch through the glass of the sliding door.”

I knew he wanted to see it firsthand since he worked as the research institute’s aquatic vet, but he obviously knew being there would probably just hinder feeding the creature.

“Alright, let me know if you need anything.”

I nodded, then waited until the door clicked shut again.

“Alright, it’s just you and me, Callem. Are you hungry?”

His hissing stopped when Oliver left, but he wasn’t exactly smiling now, either.

“Well, you obviously want the fish.”

Since his hands were tied up, along with just about the rest of him, I carefully scooted closer. When I was within a foot or so of him, I stopped and grabbed a piece of fish from the bowl. His gaze was glued to the small morsel as I raised it up and slowly brought it closer to his mouth. I knew better than to bring it to his lips, though. That would easily allow him to strike out and bite me instead of the fish.

“You need to lean forward and take it. I’m not going to start collecting bites from you, Callem.”

After a few minutes of staring at the piece of meat in my hand, he hesitantly leaned closer, teeth just barely able to grasp the food. The second he had it in his mouth, he leaned back, baring his teeth in warning to me.

“Haha, don’t worry, Cal. I’m not interested in eating any of your food.”

What I was interested in, however, was the amazing chance to be able to watch a mer eat up close without the chance of being killed. My inner scientist wanted to grab a clipboard or laptop and just go insane with writing notes, but I knew that moving would likely freak him out. I began to zone out a bit, lost in thoughts I so desperately wanted to write down. What brought my attention back, though, was a deep bark that sounded something close to what a large seal would make. Blinking, I looked at the mer, who immediately looked from my eyes to the bowl and back.

“O-Oh, you want another piece of fish?”

He barked again, but this time it was much quieter, as if he was trying to goad me into giving him another piece of the grouper.

“Okay, here…”

I reached down and got him a big piece, then carefully offered it to him. This time, when he leaned forward, he was much less hesitant. In fact, he snapped the piece up without delay.

Hmmm…

When he was just about finished with it, I calmly lowered my eyes to the bowl and waited. If he was going to be there, we might as well learn as much as we could from him before he was released. The left side of my mouth quirked up when, not a minute later, he made another barking-arf sound. I looked up, and sure enough, his eyes met mine, then dropped to the bowl of fish in my lap.

“Fish?”

He licked his lips, and I nodded, giving him a small piece this time. My attention went straight back to the bowl, waiting for the bark that came moments later. Repetition was something extremely important when training an animal, and while I had no intention of getting him to the point of understanding English, I did want him to be able to ask for simple things or get our attention without being aggressive. When I looked up, he nodded toward the bowl.

Wait. What?

I slowly grabbed another piece of fish and nodded toward it. He mirrored my action and licked his lips again.

Okay… that was scary. He picked up that signal almost immediately.

Straightening a little, I held the piece of fish up.

“Fish?”

He nodded again, making my belly squirm with excitement. I quickly gave him the fish, then another right away. The look on his face showed a bit of confusion when he got two, but it was easily pushed aside for excitement, no doubt because he got two pieces of fish instead of just the one he had been expecting. The moment he had finished them, the response was immediate. He nodded… and nodded, and nodded! It was actually kinda cute, in a vicious, ‘I could kill you if you got a little closer’ sort of way.

When he added a bark to the nodding, I let a quiet laugh slip through my lips and grabbed the last few pieces of fish, cupping them in my hand. His gaze was glued on the pile, and when I lifted my hands closer to him, he quickly leaned forward and took a piece. I kept my hands up so he could finish eating, but what I wasn’t expecting once the fish ran out was for him to begin lapping at my palms. I guess it made sense, though, since there had just been fish on them. But then why did he suddenly raise his gaze to meet my own, staring as he continued to lick at my skin with his rough tongue?

He’s got gorgeous eyes. They actually look like they’re moving. Purple and blue waves crashing around a pitch-black pupil.

I felt him begin to nuzzle my right palm, then sniff a few times… right before an abrupt sharp pain snapped me out of my daze.

“N-Nn!”

Blood began to well up on my palm, then slowly dribble over the edge to pool on the concrete. My instincts told me to yank my hand away, but I knew that was the last thing I should do with a wild animal. It would just cause them to tighten their hold, and if I did manage to pull free, I’d just cause more damage than it was worth.

“Callem…?”

He blinked twice, then looked up with a quiet growl. This time, however, when our eyes met, his narrowed. Err… did he think I was challenging him now? I quickly averted my gaze, looking over at the glass door to see Oliver standing there looking worried. Jayson was right behind him and looked about ready to run outside, but I flashed them a slight smile, hopefully silently telling them that I was okay.

It took a minute or two before the merman finally released my hand. I quickly scooted away, then stood up, getting a hiss from him but deciding to ignore it for the moment. Right then, I needed my hand tended to. Oliver grabbed my elbow as soon as I stepped into the house while Jayson wrapped my hand in a towel to keep blood from getting everywhere. Then I was whisked off to the kitchen sink and had to stand there and deal with Oliver scrubbing my wound and then, stitches. I hated stitches.

“I-I should have known not to do that,” I grumbled, trying to keep my mind focused on something besides the needle being threaded through my skin.

“Yeah… that wasn’t exactly smart.”

“Always the voice of reason, Olive.”

“Don’t you mean logic?”

“Hah! No. That’s me.”

Oliver gave my hand a tug, making me squeak as I turned my head to glare at him.

“All done, again. Now then, I would appreciate it if you kept your hand out of mer-mouths for a while, ’kay? I’m gonna go home and crash, just give me a call the next time you almost get yourself killed.”

“A-Aren’t you gonna keep treating him?”

Olive smirked and patted my shoulder.

“Yes, but I’m sure you’ll manage to hurt yourself again long before he needs his bandages changed.”

Oh the bastard! I know the mer needs his bandages changed tomorrow.

The front door slammed a minute later before I heard Oliver’s truck backing away from the house.

Well, guess that is that for now.

“Hey, you hungry, Park?”

Err, hadn’t realized Jayson was still in the kitchen, and evidently he’d already gotten down a pot and some stuff.

“Oh, yeah. I owe you dinner so I’ll—”

“Yeah, right. So you’ll what, bleed in our food? Go sit down on the couch. You can cook when you aren’t broken.”

I rolled my eyes, but he had a point. My left hand was definitely not going to be used much anytime soon except for simple things. So, I did as told and dropped onto the beige recliner.

“Mmmm, feels good to sit down.”

Leaning my head back, I was just about to close my eyes when I heard a muffled bark from outside.

Darn it, we don’t have any more fish.

Sitting up, I glanced over toward the sliding glass doors, only to find a set of gorgeous purplish blue eyes staring back at me. He seemed to be able to see me through the glass because as soon as our eyes locked, he looked over at the hose, then back to me with a nod.

Oh man, is he actually asking for a drink?

“U-Uh…”

“Just ignore him for now, you really need to relax for a bit, or your injuries could get worse.”

When I didn’t move, Callem gave another bark, this time louder.

“If I ignore him, the neighbors are going to get suspicious. I think he just wants water.”

Jay walked over to me while wiping his hands on a damp dish towel.

“How the hell is he telling you he wants water? He wouldn’t take any from us earlier.”

“Well, uh, when I was feeding him earlier, he nodded after I did, and I gave him a piece of fish. Then, each time he wanted one, he nodded at the bowl. Now look at what he’s doing.”

Jayson watched quietly as the mer looked down at the hose again, then back to me with a nod. When I didn’t respond, he did it again, and again. Then barked another ‘arf’.

“Shit. He’s learning…”

“Dangerously fast, yes.”

“I’ll go give him some water. I don’t have to get close so I won’t get hurt.”

Jay looked down at me with hesitation but eventually nodded.

“I know he doesn’t like Oliver or me much since he’s always hissing at us, but seriously man, be careful, okay?”

“Yeah yeah, I know.”

Getting up, I sauntered over to the door and was just reaching for the handle when Jay’s arm gently wrapped around my sore waist.

“I’m serious, Park. If he hurts you again, I’m going to call the research center.”

My blood chilled at his tone. Knowing it all too well. He wasn’t joking or lying. He would tell them if I messed up again… and they would take Callem away to die in a lab.

“I-I will be careful. He won’t hurt me again.”

Jayson was quiet for a moment before releasing my waist and silently walking back to the kitchen. I wasn’t too sure what that sudden tenseness was about, but I needed to take care of Callem first. I could worry about Jay later. Stepping outside, I slid the door mostly shut before walking over and squatting down to grab the hose in my right hand.

“Hey there, Callem. Is this what you want?”

He nodded and licked his lips, making me grin as I carefully moved the hose so that it was close enough for him to drink from. Callem quickly lapped at the water eagerly. At first I thought he was just drinking, but then I noticed dark slits were opening along his neck and water was running through them.

H-He’s flushing out his gills!

The other set I had seen when at the beach were also partially open, draining the rest of the water he was taking in that the upper ones had missed.

“Wow…”

I wanted so badly to reach out and gently run my fingers along those amazing machines. That’s what they truly were, machines. Gills were one of the most interesting things I had ever had the pleasure of studying, and seeing them used so close by something so incredible had me flabbergasted. I really needed to stop spacing out, though. He was staring at me now, having already done what he wished with the water.

“O-Oh, um, is that all you need, Callem?” I asked as I gently set the hose down so it could continue to run against his legs like it had been before. When he didn’t respond, I slowly got to my feet and headed for the door. Dinner would be ready and man was I starv—

“Callem.”

Wh-What did he just—

5. Siren’s Song

I couldn’t bring myself to turn around or question what he had just said… because that was impossible. He had only been here for one day, and I had only said his name a handful of times. Stepping inside, I quickly slid the door shut and flicked off the outside light. I just needed to think about something else, but Jayson was the only other thing that came to mind.

Crap.

Noticing Jay sitting on the beige love seat, I licked my lips and hesitantly joined him, dropping down onto the cushion to his left. He’d brought over my share of food and set it on the coffee table with a fork.

“Thanks,” I said as I grabbed the big plate of spaghetti and leaned back to relax and eat. He gave me a blank nod before I looked up at the television.

Of course. He can never focus on anything when Law and Order is on.

Well, at least that was good. That meant I got to enjoy my meal without him questioning me about what had just happened. I’d honestly hoped he hadn’t even seen me freeze, but when he set down his plate about fifteen minutes later and turned to eye me, I knew a ‘talk’ was coming.

“So… what happened out there?”

“Um… well…”

“I heard him speak.”

Guess that at least is out of the closet. Haha… but not me! At least not to Jay.

“Okay… I just gave him water. He used it to flush his gills out and probably drank some as well.”

Jay nodded as he looked outside into the darkness. The outline of the mer was just barely visible, but it seemed like it was sleeping already.

“I really think he needs to go to the lab.”

“No.”

Jayson looked back at me and sighed. He wasn’t meeting my eyes, staring a bit below them actually.

He’s looking at my bruised cheek…

It had a bandage pressed on it, along with one on my ribs, and now, my hand. When he leaned over a little, I leaned back into the couch. Not that I wasn’t crushing on the guy and enjoying being close to him on this rare occasion, but I didn’t want to freak him out by acting all mushy.

“Wh-What?”

“What can I do to get you to call the research center?”

My face immediately closed off as I turned to ‘watch’ the television. “I will not do that.”

He reached around in front of me, pressing his right palm to my left cheek, forcing me to face him whether I wanted to or not.

“You almost died last night, Park.”

I glanced away, looking at our reflection in the glass since he wasn’t letting me turn my head at all.

“…but I didn’t.”

He grunted, telling me that he was about to yell. Except, when he opened his mouth Jay just shook his head and lowered his hand before speaking quietly.

“Park, I had to do CPR on you for nearly five minutes to get you back. I’m honestly surprised you came back, and without any kind of brain damage.”

I knew better than to turn away now, even though he wasn’t making me face him any longer. Jayson was being serious for once, and I knew it would crush him if I tried to just ignore this conversation.

“Jay, I-I know I almost died, b-but it was my fault, not his.”

“That’s just it, Parker. You are so excited to have him here, which I completely understand, but you’re letting it affect your judgment. He’s already bitten you twice, slammed you into rocks, and drowned you. I really, really don’t want him staying here any longer. It’s just not safe.”

He was right, but I wasn’t going to say it. I didn’t want to bring Callem to that torturous place. The lab’s current animals were well cared for and all, but they were mainly just fish. You didn’t have to keep fish occupied or make sure they weren’t upset or bored. Not to mention the other scientists would be insistent on running all sorts of experiments on him, which would cause some serious stress to his healing body.

“It’ll kill him,” I mumbled as my shoulders sagged, head following as I looked down at the slim piece of sofa between us. If we took him to the lab, he’d die, and I couldn’t let that happen.

“I’d rather release him than bring him there.”

“Parker…”

I glared up at him, suddenly feeling annoyed by his badgering.

“I am your senior at the lab.”

“Oh, don’t go pulling that shit on me.”

“Dammit, Jayson. You know he’s not going to do well there.”

“And you know you could get some serious recognition and probably a damn good amount of money by turning him in.”

I jumped up, just about ready to smack the asshole right across his face.

“How dare you think that I would trade him for such things.”

He jumped up too, which was a surprise considering neither of us usually let ourselves get this bad. One usually walked away by now.

“Dude, you know if they find out that you have a mer here and didn’t turn it in, they will fire you. Besides, if you take action first, you could at least be part of his research team and keep the invasive crap to a minimum.”

My mouth opened, but there was nothing to say. He was right. I would lose my job in a heartbeat if they knew I had let Callem go. Hell, I’d probably not be able to get another job in oceanic biology. When I didn’t reply, Jayson gradually calmed down.

“Call them tomorrow, please. Make yourself head of the research team and protect him that way.”

We were silent for another minute before I finally whispered out a depressed “okay…”

His face immediately looked relieved, shoulders relaxing as he tugged me into a gentle hug. I rested my forehead on his shoulder and closed my eyes, trying to relax but failing miserably.

“He’ll be okay with you looking after him. It’s just too dangerous to leave him here, and keeping him tied to a pole all day?”

I knew he was right, again, but I couldn’t do anything but give a faint nod as my pathetic attempt at agreeing. He would be okay if we could just heal his injuries and let him go. But I suppose that wasn’t going to happen now.

“’I’m tired.”

“Alright, go get some rest. I’ll watch him tonight since Oliver let me get some sleep before you woke up.”

I nodded with a yawn and sauntered off to bed.

~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~ ~

What was that sound…?

Sounds like... a song... whistled softly...

~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~ ~

I can feel it... in my head...

~~ ~~~~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~~

Such a haunting song...

~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~

Want... to know...

~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~

Who is singing...

~~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~~

"Park?"

~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~

"P-Parker?"

A rough slam jarred my damaged ribs and sent me flying into the concrete, hard. My breath was pushed from my lungs, but I was now awake, and definitely confused.

What the hell am I doing outside on the patio?

"God dammit, idiot. What the hell were you thinking?"

Jayson was dragging me backward as he cursed, finally stopping when we were close to the pool and away from the mer.

"You walked right past me and began to fucking lick his face."

What the...?

"I-I-I..."

My head felt cloudy, and that sound I had heard before was beginning to start up again.

"I-I can hear something. I-it's messing with my head."

Jayson looked over at the mer, and I quickly followed his gaze.

I-It's whistling?

No. Not whistling... or at least not the human version of it. His lips were formed into the correct shape to do so, but what was coming out was a hauntingly quiet melody that you had to focus on to hear... but I didn't.

"It's in my head. I can hear him."

Jay looked back at me with wide eyes, but I found myself unable to meet them. Instead, I slowly began crawling forward, back toward Callem.

"Parker?"

I got a few feet before my legs were abruptly yanked out from under me and I was dragged backward for a second time. Jayson got up and quickly tossed me over his shoulder before running inside and slamming the door. The song was still in my head, but it was much quieter now, letting me regain control of my actions.

"J-J-Jayson?"

He carried me straight to his room and threw me onto the bed, then went back to flip the light on. Standing in the doorway, he fished out his phone and dialed. I knew what he was doing, who he was calling.

"Hello? Yes, sorry for calling so late, but I have something very important that needs to be taken care of immediately."

The voice of our boss didn't sound very happy on the other end, but at least he didn't hang up.

"This is extremely important, but I need you to promise that Parker will be in charge of all research on the specimen he caught. Can I get that?"

"Alright, good. We need people here, now. He caught a wounded merman on the beach that needs medical attention."

"...yes, I said merman."

"Yes, I know they are extinct, he decided to find one anyways."

"No, we have him tied up out of the water because we had to treat his injuries. He's extremely strong, though, and dangerous."

"Uh, not that I know of, but again, tied up. Not quite curious enough to let him try to walk on his own..."

"Parker!"

"Holy..."

My eyes widened in fear as they looked toward the window in Jayson's room. It didn't let us see the mer directly, but it was definitely close enough to hear the shout it had just made. Dead silence took over besides the gibberish mumbling from the other end of the phone, which we both momentarily ignored.

...

...

...

"Parker!"

I jumped, frightened gaze darting up to Jay. That seemed to snap him out of his shock and he quickly stuttered to our boss.

"Look, you know where I live. We need someone here, now. Hell, we need a lot of people here. He's really strong and fucking smart. He already knows Park's name and how to ask for things."

"Yeah, I know."

"Okay, good. Tell Oliver to have his dart gun ready."

"Okay, bye."

He hung up and glanced down at me, a worried look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Park."

"
Parker
!"

We both flinched, and being the strong guy that I was, I yanked Jayson's blanket up over myself and let my head fall back onto his pillow. I normally wasn't this weak, but after being battered and bitten, and now that song in my head controlling my actions?

"Parker!!"

A gentle hand pressed against my shoulder from atop the blanket, giving me security that I desperately needed.

"It's okay. They are coming. And don't worry, you will be in charge of him."

I slowly lowered the blanket so that I could sneak a glance up at Jayson.

Hnn? Why is he grinning?

"R-Really...?"

He nodded before getting up, taking his security with him as he began walking toward the front door. Not wanting to be alone, I jumped up and quickly ran after him, limping a bit as my ankle began to hurt. Jayson had the door open by the time I managed to catch up and was already letting people in who lived close to us. My stomach twisted into knots when I saw the nets and guns they carried. God, some even had cattle prods and catch poles.

"Y-You can't use those."

The three men turned around, eyeing me in confusion.

"He's already tied up, you should just be able to dart him for travel."

Oliver walked inside right as I finished speaking, and I sighed with relief.

"Can you please dart him, Olive?"

My friend smiled sleepily and nodded as he walked out onto the patio. I began to follow but was pulled back into Jay's arms again.

Gah!

"Let me go."

"No."

"B-But I'm in charge."

"They are just catching him up for transport. Oliver can handle it. You, need to go to sleep."

"What?"

He carried me back to his room right as I heard a loud hiss from the patio and another shout of my name from Callem. The second Jay dropped me onto his bed, I jumped up, only to be pinned down atop his navy blue comforter.

"You are going to sleep."

"No, I'm not."

He sighed, shaking his head as I squirmed in his grasp. Darn bastard was only an inch or two taller than me, but he definitely had me beat in muscle.

"Listen, Park, if you don't get some rest, then you won't heal. If you don't heal, you won't be able to go to work and you know how that's going to end."

Callem will suffer.

Resigned, I stopped struggling and just lay there as Jay stared down at me, both of us listening to the commotion going on just outside. Eventually the noise dwindled, then quieted, letting us know that everyone had left and they had taken Callem with them.

"Don't cry, Park. We'll go see him tomorrow, and you can take care of him."

I hadn't realized I had been crying and quickly blinked the extra tears away before Jay's finger ran beneath my sore right eye, wiping away several that had managed to escape.

"Get some sleep. I'll wake you up early so we can head over and check on Callem, okay?"

"Okay."

I didn't want to go to sleep, but he was right. So, after turning a bit and getting comfortable, I slowly let myself drift off in Jayson's warm bed.

# 6. Anger

The next morning, I was up at the crack of dawn—of course, before Jayson. I knew the guy wouldn't wake up before me, even if he set an alarm. Which I'm pretty sure he hadn't. In fact, I was already dressed and wrapping up my sprained ankle when he sat up in a daze. I looked sideways at him as I slid my right foot into my black work shoes.

"Thanks for waking me, Jay."

He grumbled, then flopped back over.

Oh no, not gonna happen, buddy.

I grabbed his comforter and yanked, pulling the thing completely off of him.

"Up. He's at the facility because of you, so you're coming with me every single morning."

Jay grabbed his pillow and pulled it over his head, grumbling.

"That's not going to work."

He didn't answer so I grinned and sat on his back, making the guy grunt.

"Nnn, get off, man. Yer heavyyyy."

"You gonna get up?"

"I'll meet you there in an hour."

"Nope."

"Thirty minutes."

"Nope."

"Dammit, Parker."

A smirk formed on my lips, but it was soon wiped away as I was flipped backward and abruptly covered by the heavy comforter, then Jayson... err.

"D-Don't sit on me."

Especially not there.

He was straddling my waist and doing things to me that shouldn't be happening. Not that he was doing it on purpose. It was all me, but still, it was happening.

"J-Jay, get off."

"Nope, you are just gonna have to dea—is something poking me?"

Ah! 

"M-Morning wood. God! Get off."

He snickered but thankfully moved, sliding out of bed to head toward the shower. I stayed beneath the blanket until I heard the shower going, then quickly got myself up and into the kitchen. Since he'd gotten off quickly, I didn't have to wait long for my body to relax back to normal, allowing me to focus on making breakfast instead of becoming breakfast... 
darn gutter mind
.

By the time Jay was finally dressed and in the kitchen, I was just loading up plates with eggs and toasted bagels. I heard the fridge door open and smirked as I took a big bite of my bagel—the only one that happened to have cream cheese on it.

"Are we out of cream cheese?" He straightened and let the door close, then eyed me—and more importantly, the cream cheese mustache I now wore.

"Really, Park? You couldn't spread it thin or something?"

I raised a brow and shrugged.

"I 'ought it."

Okay, that didn't sound too great, but I was hungry and thus, took another bite as I spoke.

"Tch, of course you bought it. I gave you money to get stuff since I had to sleep during the day."

He had a point, but as I took another bite, my whole cocky demeanor went 
poof
. Why? Because he'd just walked right over and eaten a large chunk of my bagel while I was still mid-bite. I immediately let go of the food and backed away, stuttering gibberish as he began to chew, catching the rest of the toasted deliciousness in his hand so it didn't fall to the floor.

"H-Hey! That was mine," I stuttered with a grumble.

"Awww, yer blushing."

He poked my cheek, and I promptly bit him, making the bastard yelp as I stomped out of the room with my plate of eggs.

"Parker."

Hearing him shout my name had me stopping in my tracks. The memory of last night, of Callem calling for me, flashed before my eyes. All of a sudden the eggs just didn't seem that appetizing. Instead, I turned and walked back to the kitchen to set the plate on the counter before making a beeline for the door.

"Park?"

Jay cut me off right as I was about to reach for the door handle.

"What, Jayson? You can stay here, okay? I just need to get to the research center."

He looked hurt, though I really had no idea why. He hadn't wanted to get up in the first place, so he could just go back to sleep now.

"Move, Jay."

A plate nudged me in the chest, drawing my attention down to the half-eaten bagel with cream cheese and an egg on the side.

"Sorry I took your bagel. You need to eat, please? I don't want you to make another mistake around him."

Pursing my lips, I hesitantly grabbed the bagel and stuck the end he'd bitten off between my teeth. When he looked back up at me, I raised my brows, silently asking him to move since my mouth was slowly working on chewing at the bagel. He stepped aside with a funny look that I ignored. Instead, I ran around the side of the house to my truck, pushing the button so it was unlocked when I reached for the door.

"Hey, Wait up."

I had half the mind to back out and make him run for it, but I waited until he climbed into the cab before reversing through his lawn, revving the engine a few times just to be sure that some 
sod
 went flying to emphasize that I was definitely pissed at him. He wisely kept his mouth shut about his now-ruined lawn, smart.

We arrived at the research facility just as the sun was rising in the distance. It was quite beautiful, what with all the pollution from the city making brilliant colors in the sky, but after understanding why it's caused, it had lost a good amount of its luster. Slamming the driver's side door shut, I quickly got inside, running by my locker on the way through the halls to grab my lab coat and walky-talky. The channel was already set so when I turned the knob, voices rang out bantering back and forth. After I pulled on the white coat, I lifted the device to my mouth and pressed the 'talk' button.

"This is Doctor Ryans. I want an update on the merman."

Everyone else talking through the device quieted for a moment before one person spoke up.

"Good morning, Doctor! We have him restrained and have already taken several samples while he was anesthetized. He has been awake for roughly five hours and has been calling for you, as well as someone named Callem?"

I pressed the talk button and quickly responded as I neared the first set of locked doors, sliding my ID card through the scanner.

"Callem is his name. I gave it to him so put it down on his charts."

"Understood."

"You may run the basic set of tests on what was collected, but that is all you get, so don't waste it."

"Wh-What?"

"I said, that is all you're getting."

I stepped through the second set of doors after swiping my card, then the third and final ones. When they closed behind me, I turned to the left and pushed the door to the first research room open.

"
Parker
!"

Callem was strapped down with steel cuffs and several ropes to an autopsy table since we didn't exactly catch things that were able to survive out of water for any period of time.

"Why is he not in a tank?"

They were staring at the purple and black bruise on my face, which I had forgotten to cover again after my shower this morning. Probably my black eye as well, but I didn't have the patience to deal with this right now.

"Get him into a damned tank, 
now
."

"But he's incredibly strong, we wouldn't be able to catch him again if we did."

"We have plenty of dart guns, and we can always drain a pool if we need to."

"But..."

"But nothing. Get him into water, 
now
."

The doctors and interns all blanched and ran about, getting the door propped open and pushing the table out of the room quickly. Hmph, they were lucky Callem was in his human form, if they had to push his mer, they'd likely hurt themselves. I quickly followed after them, being sure that Callem was able to see me the whole time since it seemed to calm him down a little. One of my colleagues, Dr. Smithson, walked up beside me with his clipboard out, notes everywhere on the main chart we used to keep track of single animals.

"We got a weight on him when he came in last night, one hundred and thirty-one pounds. He is emaciated and threw up when he awoke, so he definitely needs more food."

"I know, he was stealing from my friend's fishing nets, trying to get food."

"I assume that is because of the injury on his tail and shoulder?"

"Tail, yes, shoulder, no. My friend shot him."

The guy stopped for a second, making me glance over my shoulder but not stop walking.

"Sh-Shot him? He shot a merman?"

When he caught up, I grinned and explained with a shrug.  "He thought it was a dolphin, which is perfectly plausible, as I thought the same. We have him now and can get him healthy."

Smithson wasn't happy but pursed his lips and nodded, sucking up whatever he had planned to say about Ken.

Good idea
.

We passed by the large study tank containing just about every kind of fish and coral in the local ecosystem. It towered over our heads a good forty feet and was only accessible from boardwalks on the fourth floor. We could have put him in there, but he would have likely eaten another batch of important research fish, and that would not have gone over very well. I was even studying a few of them and would prefer they remained alive. It did, however, make me smile with the hope that Callem would soon be able to return to the real thing and have his freedom.

We ducked inside a room at the far end of the main tank. This one had four large pools, inground, unlike the huge main one in the other room. Each of them were about twenty feet deep with a three foot railing surrounding each individual one, keeping the animals in but giving us just enough room to see over and observe. They also dipped into the basement area, which allowed us to easily look at them through the glass below. In fact, several of the interns were already running toward the staircase that led downstairs.

"Alright, I want him in the second pool."

The group nodded and moved him to the far left pool of water, then hesitated. Smithson eventually turned toward me, his face slightly pale.

"We'll need to dart him to release him."

"The hell? No, you won't."

"He's too strong. He'll hurt someone, and it looks like he already got you."

I stiffened slightly, then glared.

"I'll do it. Get away."

The group jumped back, not used to seeing me angry. I was normally one of the more enthusiastic scientists, and I honestly did enjoy my work, but Callem—he wasn't a damn experiment. Stomping up to him, I began to unbuckle the metal rings around his ankles, then moved to do his wrists.

"Get me a respirator."

I reached back after a moment and felt someone press the small device into my hand. It wasn't very good for long dives since it just fit over your mouth and had two little tanks on either side, but the oxygen would last for at least ten minutes, which was hopefully enough. I knew exactly what the mer was going to do so it was no surprise when my jacket collar was grabbed and I was yanked over the edge of the table, then into the pool with him.

  Hitting the edge of the pool knocked a good deal of air from my lungs, but thankfully I managed to keep the respirator over my mouth, inhaling a much needed breath as we descended in the clear cold water all the way to the bottom. My ears popped and pressure built, but as his tail grew back, he suddenly began darting around, jerking my coat enough to pull it off and leave me floating by the observation glass window in the basement. I thought he might be content to mess with my jacket and allow me to swim to the surface, but I was sorely mistaken. Almost the second he took my coat from me, he turned and realized I was no longer in it, then hissed, bubbles leaving his flaring gills in anger.

Oh shit!

I tried to scramble upward but barely got three feet when I felt my ankle, of course my bad one, being pulled harshly downward. Callem didn't hesitate to ramp up his speed as he darted around the pool, slamming me into the glass wall more than a few times. He released me in the middle after a minute, finally allowing me to take a deep breath from the respirator. It was going to run out soon, but that was the least of my concerns because Callem was circling me, eyeing the bubbles coming from the device on my mouth.

He's expecting me to be unconscious by now, like last time.

When his eyes narrowed on me, I squeezed mine shut, waiting for something that never came.

What the...?

Suddenly I felt an arm around my waist, and then I was quickly being pulled to the surface. I blinked my eyes open, surprised to see Jayson by my side, fending Callem off with one of our electric fish poles. It didn't put out enough electricity to travel through the water and shock us, but it definitely packed a punch when the tip hit something. We began spinning as the mer tried to get at his back, darting forward before springing back and slamming his tail to try to stun us with the jet of water it created. Thankfully Jay managed to get us to the surface right as I was beginning to feel light-headed. Several pairs of hands pulled me from the water and dragged me over the barrier, but when I let the respirator drop from my lips and looked around for Jayson—

Where...?

I was incredibly weak, but I could see several people running around the pool shouting, but doing nothing to help Jay. With a good amount of effort, I used the barrier to pull myself up so I could see what was going on. They had turned the lights on, illuminating Callem and Jayson, way at the bottom of the pool. The mer wasn't letting him go anywhere, but when he reached up and yanked the respirator out of my best friend's mouth, I jumped over the damned barrier straight back into the water.

"Callem!"

Diving beneath the surface, I ignored my colleagues' shouts of panic. Jayson looked up, having heard my shout. His eyes widened, and he began swimming to the surface as Callem released him to bolt for me. I scrambled halfway back over the barrier before the mer grabbed my leg and yanked me back under. I saw Jay being pulled out of the pool as I was dragged back down. Well, at least he was safe now. But I had no respirator this time. I was already running low on air when we got to the bottom.

I guess this is it.

If I struggled to get back to the surface, he would drag me back down. I didn't blame him, though. It was just his instincts. Judging from his expression, I had also made him mad by letting him be taken away. So if this was anyone's fault, it was mine. I watched calmly as Callem circled me, nudging my side, probably wondering why I wasn't trying to get away from him this time. He slowed near me, and I chanced reaching out, surprised when he let me press my fingers gently against his smooth chest.

I'm so sorry I couldn't give you back to the ocean.

His head tilted, the anger draining as curiosity replaced it. I wanted to watch him forever, learn everything about him, but my lungs were beginning to burn with need. Bubbles began to slip from my lips as I struggled, squeezing my eyes shut right before I let the last bit of air escape.

What?

Why wasn't water rushing into my mouth?

I allowed my eyes to open hesitantly, but what I saw nearly had me drowning myself.

"M-Mmph?"

The water around us distorted my surprised mumble, but that wasn't the only thing that was responsible for it. Callem's mouth was firmly sealed over mine while dry, fresh air began flowing between us. It was honestly amazing that any animal could generate enough oxygen to allow another to use it, let alone 
breathe
 it out instead of mostly carbon dioxide. Even more odd, was that the air he was giving me was extremely quick to refill my pained lungs and reoxygenate my blood. I felt so much better in mere seconds. The scientist in me desperately wanted to study him and see how he was doing it, but I tamped that thought down as he suddenly darted off to the far side of the pool, and when he didn't swim back over, I slowly began swimming upward.

The moment I broke the surface, I gasped in a huge gulp of air, then ducked back under to swim toward the blue floating foam platform. I was extremely grateful when my coworkers hauled me out, my limbs honestly feeling like jelly. I was handed over the barrier from the floating platform and straight into Jay's waiting arms. He then pushed through the group of panicked scientists, bringing me into a side locker room often used for changing during dives into the larger tank. Jayson tore my clothes off faster than I could protest, but when he grabbed one of the heated blankets we kept for hypothermia emergencies and wrapped it around me, I sighed out a moan of contentment. His arms pulled me into his lap as he sat, and I didn't hesitate to curl up right there, enjoying the heat and safety.

"

I'm sorry
."

My voice sounded terrible from being nearly drowned twice, but he just pressed a kiss to my wet hair and held me tighter, making my chest warm that much faster.

# 7. Learning By Mistake

"I'm really fucking pissed at you."

Way to ruin the moment, Jay.

I glanced up at him, grinning like the idiot that I was. Sure, I was one of the best scientists here, or at least that's what my paycheck said, but I knew what I had done was beyond stupid.

"I know."

"No, you don't."

My brows furrowed, and I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and not just because I had been pulled underwater twice today already.

"What?"

The door opened behind me right as Jay was about to respond, drawing my attention to the young intern who just stepped in.

"Dr. Ryans, what would you like us to do about feeding him?"

Seriously?

"Put fish in the water. He'll likely eat any kind."

The guy blinked, as if confused, then quickly nodded and ran back out. Well, that had officially broken up any kind of argument Jay and I had been having, so back to work. Except when I tried to scoot off his lap, his arms wouldn't let me go. Looking back with an annoyed glare, I grumbled at him.

"Let go."

"No."

"Dammit, Jayson. I have work to do."

"You're not going near him again."

I blanched, then jerked my body hard enough to stumble out of his lap. Of course that meant I dropped onto the floor, but at least the blanket absorbed most of the impact.

"I am not going to just leave him here with them. He's my responsibility."

Jay scoffed as I got to my feet and limped over to my second locker. We always had two, one for basic necessities near the front of the building, and another in this room in case we ended up diving. So, when I opened the small door, I gave a relieved sigh. My spare dry clothing were still there, neatly folded on the upper shelf. Without taking off the blanket, I quickly tugged on the dry boxers, then followed them up with pants and a shirt. The chill from the sixty degree water was still bugging me, but I knew I had to get back out there and make sure they weren't doing anything to stress Callem out any further. Once I put the blanket in the dirty laundry hamper by the door, I stepped back out into the pool area, Jay nearly glued to my heels. Smithson hurried up to me right as I walked out, worried but smiling.

"Are you alright, Dr. Ryans?"

I nodded and walked with him toward Callem's pool.

"Parker!"

That made me chuckle a little.

"He's called for you a few times."

We stepped up to the tank, and I noticed Callem swimming over. There were a few pieces of fish floating in the water, but he didn't seem interested in them at all.

Odd, he has to be hungry, especially after throwing up from the drug he was shot with earlier.

When his head surfaced a few feet away, I nodded toward the small piece of fish in front of him.

"Aren't you hungry, Callem?"

He glanced at the fish, then back at me before nodding. I returned the gesture, but he didn't bother to look at the fish again.

Okay, maybe he thinks it means something else?

I walked over to one of the elevated platforms attached to the outside of the tank and stepped up. He swam over, ignoring the fish again.

"Hmm, can I have a piece of fish?" I asked, turning to look at Smithson. He quickly nodded and ran over to a bucket they had on the floor. A moment later, I had a piece of chum salmon in my hand. Turning back to Callem, I noticed he was right beneath me, the only thing separating us now was the barrier that only went up to my knees. If he wanted to, he could easily pump his tail to get high enough to grab me. Thankfully, he didn't seem interested in doing that at the moment. In fact, he actually reached up toward me, opening his hand in a 'give me' gesture.

"You... want me to give you the fish?"

His head tilted, brows furrowing in confusion.

"Um... fish?" I repeated.

An immediate nod was his answer, making me grin before very carefully handing him the morsel. Our fingers brushed as he took it, but again, there was no aggression. Callem actually took the fish and tore at it, easily chewing through the scales and small bones. I heard a few clicks and glanced sideways at several interns and scientists who were taking photos. Tch, I didn't want any pictures of him to give people motivation to try to hunt for others, but I didn't have the authority to tell them to stop.

"Parker."

Hearing my name, I quickly looked back down at Callem's outstretched hand and smiled. He nodded, and I returned the gesture, looking over my shoulder toward Smithson. He got the idea and quickly picked up the bucket, setting it by my feet on the platform. I grabbed another piece of fish from the bucket and handed it down to Callem, repeating that process for the better part of half an hour as he ate.

He had gone through about four pounds of fish when he finally darted off toward the floating platform. I watched silently until he pushed himself up onto it, weighing down the light foam block keeping it afloat. I wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, but when he turned back to me and called my name again, I grabbed the bucket and hopped down. Jayson walked next to me until we came to the small door leading out to the bright blue floating platform.

"You're not going on that with him there."

Ignoring him, I grabbed a strong rope we had coiled up near the small glass entry door and tied it to one of the support beams coming out of the floor nearby, then fastened the other end around my waist.

"There. Happy?"

Jayson leaned over and grabbed the shock pole he'd dropped while being pulled out of the water earlier and handed it to me.

"Now I'm almost happy."

I had half a mind to poke him with the darn thing, but when Callem said my name again, I carefully opened the three-foot glass door and stepped into his enclosure and onto the floating dock. Once I had the door shut and latched, my colleagues handed the half-filled bucket of fish over to me.

"Thanks."

I noticed that one of our interns was holding a dart gun, I think her name was Jess, or something close to that. As long as she didn't point it directly at him, I didn't think he'd get upset so I didn't bother telling her to put it away. When I was ready, I carefully turned toward Callem, who was drifting just beside the platform now, having slid off of it when I walked on.

"Hey there, Callem."

He pumped his tail, disappearing beneath the surface with a splash only to reappear a few yards away and give off his cute barking sound. I wasn't quite sure what the sound meant besides that he wanted my attention so I carefully sat down against the small glass door and waited. He tilted his head and gave another bark, but I just set the shock pole down and grabbed a small piece of fish.

"I'm not coming out there, Callem."

He barked again and dove under, but this time when he surfaced, he was moving fast enough to slide right up and across to me on the platform. My body started in surprise, but I didn't have enough time to get up and over the wall. I jerked the piece of fish up in reflex, hoping he was more interested in it than me, but of course, this time he wasn't. Although, when nothing happened, I hesitantly blinked my eyes in surprise and looked at him.

Oh wow...

Water was draining from his gills, running down his strong chest to disappear into the thin layer of water moving over the platform. When quiet gasps filtered to me from behind, I refocused and realized that legs were slowly beginning to form from his vanishing tail. Once he was done transforming, he carefully crawled over my outstretched legs. I slowed my breathing to try to keep him calm, tamping down panic that was rising in my mind at having such a dangerous predator right on top of me.

He watched me as I looked over his shoulder, knowing not to look a predator in the eyes. Whispers from the other scientists and the scratch of pens on paper were just barely audible over the sound of the pool pumps and filters working, as well as my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

"Parker."

Caught off-guard, I looked at him directly, immediately changing his demeanor into one of aggression.

Oh shit!

My left hand was already curled around the shock pole, but I really didn't want to have to use it. So, instead, I quickly turned my gaze away and shifted so that I was on my back beneath him, then tilted my head back. I wasn't sure what kind of submissive gesture he understood, but this was the only obvious one I could really show as a person. Looking away was backing down from a challenge and putting yourself lower than the aggressor, as well as baring the most vulnerable part of your body. It was the best way to diffuse a situation between animals. Granted, I was definitely not an animal, but I had a feeling he would understand at least part of the action... hopefully.

When I felt his rough tongue begin to lap at my neck, I gave a quiet sigh of relief. I thought he would just do it a few times to show that he understood I was no threat, but his actions actually began to get rougher. His left hand grabbed my right upper arm, pinning it easily. My neck began to throb beneath his attention, making me think that I might really have to shock him to get him off me. I was just adjusting my grip on the steel shock pole when I felt his teeth sink into the side of my neck.

Okay, instinct once again took over, making me shove the pole into his side with as much force as I could manage. I had desperately wanted to avoid having to hurt him, but I wasn't going to let him do something that wasn't okay. I knew he didn't understand, but he figured things out quickly, so...

Callem hissed and darted off of the platform, pulling me by my ankle right along with him... until the rope snapped tight around my waist and my wet foot slipped from his grasp.

Thank god I tied the rope instead of asking someone to hold it, 'cause that hurt like hell but saved my ass.

A rope burn would undoubtedly be circling my waist soon, but I wasn't focused on that right then. Callem was darting around just beneath the small waves, splashing the surface several times before returning to the dock. He began clawing his way on top, but when his legs began to shift, I held out the shock pole.

"C-Callem, no."

He stopped and sat down with his legs turned backward to either side, sitting like a scolded child might... but I knew better. His gills were flaring, and the scowl on his face told me that he would likely have tried to drown me again if the rope hadn't kept me on the platform.

"Parker, no," he grumbled, eyeing the pole with distaste. His gaze darted from the pole to my neck several times, seemingly confused.

"Parker!"

"No Parker." I shouted back, making him flinch from surprise. Raising my voice hadn't really been planned, but I needed to get it across to him that he didn't just get me whenever he said my name. His eyes narrowed in thought, and we both remained quiet for a long minute before he spoke again.

"Yes Parker."

My colleagues stuttered and the pens went full speed on their clipboards as I tried to realize what Callem had just said.

"N-No... Parker not Callem's."

He flopped down onto his belly a few inches from the shock pole, making a little splash in the thin layer of water on the foam platform. I knew I was supposed to be afraid of him, but I was beginning to figure out some of his facial expressions and slowly grinned when I noticed that he was thinking again.

"Parker Callem's." He replied after a moment as he pushed himself back up onto his hands and knees, then hesitantly moved forward. I didn't really think when I moved the tip of the pole so that it didn't hit him in the shoulder. His attention focused on it now that the tip was no longer in a position to touch him. In fact, he actually leaned over and nudged the silver metal with his nose lightly. When it didn't shock him, his eyes narrowed before doing it again, and again.

"No."

I repeated without really thinking, then added an extra word.

"No... shock."

Callem looked over at me, then back to nuzzle the pole... and, err, lick it? His eyes closed as his tongue moved along the smooth surface, sending a shiver through my body as I tightened my hold on the handle.

"Parker shock Callem," he whispered as his gorgeous eyes blinked open slowly and moved back to meet mine. I felt my heart stumble over itself as I tried to stutter out a reply.

"C-Callem hurt Parker..."

While he thought about what I said, I glanced down at his injured foot. It looked much better, though the bandage had obviously fallen off with all the shifting he had done.

"Parker Callem's, no hurt."

I returned my attention to him when he spoke and shook my head.

"Parker no Callem's. Parker hurt Callem, Callem hurt Parker."

Callem hissed and flared his gills, making me withdraw the pole so I could get it in front of me for defense. He was definitely getting frustrated from our lack of ability to communicate, but I couldn't exactly hand him a dictionary to read. When neither of us spoke, he sighed out a distressed breath and moved back to lie on his belly, then rolled over, baring his neck for a second before rolling back.

"Parker yes Callem's."

My brows furrowed as I watched, trying to figure out what he was trying to tell me. When I didn't respond again, he slipped back into the water and bit the side of the platform with a grumble, then released it before he spoke again.

"Parker yes Callem's."

He bit the platform again, then released it as he lifted a hand to his neck.

"Parker Callem's."

Oh...god.

My hand slapped over my injured neck, the gesture immediately making Callem shout out an excited bark. He looked so happy to have finally managed to tell me what he was thinking, but...

"Callem."

His previously dark blue eyes were now mixed with a bright violet as they fell on me.

"I-I..."

I stood up abruptly, making him start in surprise.

"Parker mistake...sorry, Callem."

I couldn't bring myself to look at him again as I quickly jumped over the glass barrier and got the rope undone from around my sore waist.

"P-Parker?"

"Parker?"

"Parker mistake? Parker sorry?"

I heard him splashing and stumbling around on the platform before diving back into the water and trying to follow me.

"Parker!"

I walked out of the facility, shaky and panting. Jayson was on my heels, but he didn't say anything. All he did was fish my keys from my pocket and drive us back home. When we got inside, I pulled off my damp clothes and dropped them somewhere, then went straight to the bathroom where I heard Jayson drawing a bath. He was kneeling near the tub as steaming water poured from the faucet.

Hm? He never lets me use a ton of hot water.

"Jay?"

When he turned to look at me, I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"U-Uh, th-thanks for helping me... today."

Instead of replying, he just raked his gaze over my bruised body, then reached down to grab the bottle of peroxide and bandages by his left knee.

Aw, maaan. Not again.

"Sit down."

I put the toilet lid down and quickly did as told but was silently dreading the gauze pad he was now soaking with peroxide. He didn't even give me a warning as he slapped the darn thing right over Callem's bite, either.

"Ouch!"

Okay, someone was mad. Thankfully, the burning from the darn medical stuff only lasted a few seconds. He removed the gauze after a minute and fastened the bandage over the area firmly.

"There."

I sighed with relief before my body was suddenly lifted and dropped into the hot bath water.

"H-Hey."

The excessively hot water felt amazing, but I didn't get any time to enjoy it alone because Jay was kneeling down right next to the tub now, his gaze dead serious as it locked with mine.

"Don't go back for a few days."

"But..."

"No. I am sick and tired of piecing my roommate back together, dammit."

I leaned back from surprise, bare back pressing against the chilled tile.

"Jay..."

"I swear, Parker, I will tie you to my damn bed if I have to in order to keep you here."

Blood rushed up to my cheeks and down to another area I won't mention, which my hands quickly moved to cover.

"I-I won't go i-in tomorrow."

"Four days."

"What?"

He leaned closer, making me press my back harder against the cold tile to try to get away, but of course, that wasn't going to work.

"T-Two."

"Four."

"Three."

His nose brushed against mine, and my resolve crumbled.

"Fine. Four."

Jay immediately leaned back on his heels and smirked.

"Good boy."

"I-I am not a damn boy. I'm older than you."

His left brow rose as he glanced over the edge of the tub, then back up at me.

"You get turned on like a teenager."

I instantly felt mortified and turned around, trying to hide myself and prevent further embarrassment.

He's going to make fun of me. H-He'll know I'm gay, too. A-And for him.

Feeling his hand settle atop my head made me flinch, but when that's all he did, I hesitantly glanced over my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. That was a cruel joke. I know you're not gay, Park. You just get super-stressed sometimes, and it happens."

Why did what he just said hurt worse than him finding out my 'problem'? This was the perfect time to finally come out to him, but considering the way he had spoken about being gay, I automatically took the easy way out... and lied.

"Ha...ha. Yeah, it sucks."

"Park?"

"Hey, Park? Are you still in the bathroom?"

Everything felt hazy as I lifted my head, trying to remember where I was.

Oh... right. Still in the bathtub.

The water was cold by then, and as I realized that, my body began to shiver.

"What the hell are you still doing in here? You should have been out twenty minutes ago."

I was lifted out of the water and set on the toilet seat, a towel slung around my shoulders tightly before Jay began rubbing my arms quickly to warm me up.

"Go away."

"Yeah, 'cause that worked well. Not gonna happen."

My heart clenched as I shoved him backward. into the towel bar on the wall and jumped to my feet.

"I said go away."

"
No
."

I shoved him again, hard, and stomped off toward my room to get dressed. He was quick to follow but stood in my doorway so that I couldn't push him again.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting dressed, idiot," I growled in response as I shoved my legs into a pair of boxers, then black work pants.

"You are 
not
 going back there today."

I ignored him and instead pulled on a black sweater and socks, then moved to shove past him. Except he easily threw me over his shoulder and walked into his room.

"What are you doing?"

"I warned you."

Suddenly I was softly bouncing on my back on his bed, but when I started trying to get up, I realized he already had a knot tied around my left wrist and was securing it to his headboard.

"Hey. Y-You can't do this to me."

When he was finished with that hand, he grabbed my right one, before I could work on the left knot with it, and fished another piece of rope from the nightstand by the bed.

Why the hell does he have ropes in his bedroom anyway?

"J-Jay, stop. Seriously, this isn't funny."

He tightened the rope on my right wrist, making me unable to move either arm very far, then sat back on his heels near my chest. I was panting and stressed as hell, but he looked disturbingly stoic.

"I'm not laughing, Parker."

Swallowing hard, I licked my lips and fought myself to calm down. He wasn't attacking me, and he did say he was going to tie me up if I tried to go back. My breathing slowly calmed while we looked into each other's eyes.

"I'm going to get our dinner, and you're going to eat. Then we're going to sleep early so your body can start healing."

"We...?"

His eyes narrowed, and he nodded.

"I'll untie you, but you're sleeping with me for the next four days."

I glared, but he just scooted out of bed and disappeared to the kitchen.

Hmph!

Deciding to not waste my energy, I ate what he offered after he freed my hands, which was one of my favorite dishes, hamburgers and coleslaw. On the burger, of course. When we had finished our meals, he took the plates back to the kitchen and then returned right away. I didn't fight him when he pulled me up against his warm body, arms wrapped around my waist firmly. On any other day, with any other circumstance, I would have enjoyed doing this greatly, but...

As soon as I was sure he was asleep, I carefully slipped out of bed, silently thanking god that he slept like a rock. I quickly but quietly made my way to the front door and slid on my shoes, then grabbed my keys from where he'd put them on a hook. Thunder began to boom overhead as I ran to my truck and climbed in, quickly buckling my seat belt before speeding off toward the facility. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do there since it was now around nine o'clock and after hours. Security would likely be the only people there.

Well, I can just check on Callem and get my phone since I left it in my locker.

That's actually exactly what I told the security guard at the front door when he asked why I was back so late. He knew that we often came and went at random times depending on experiments so just mentioning my phone and the new project was enough to let me back in. My feet sped into the first hall to retrieve my spare badge from my locker, then I hurried through the first and second doors, getting annoyed with the sudden slowness of the scanning process on the older badge. When the third door finally opened, I took a deep breath and began walking through the dark main room. Lightning flashed every few seconds, lighting my path, since a lot of the emergency floor lights were out and being replaced tomorrow.

I came to an unsteady stop at the door leading to the holding area where I knew Callem was waiting for me. Another flash of lightning through the slanted glass ceiling high above told me where the handle was, and I hesitantly reached for it, right before a soft melody entered my head that sounded all-too-familiar.

~~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~

~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~

Close...

It was close, but...

Blinking as another flash of lightning lit up the room, I noticed something that made my blood run cold.

Feet.

One slightly injured, the other not.

Just on the other side of the door...

I didn't want to do it, but I found my gaze slowly rising until they met furious black ones as another bolt of lightning flashed through the room.

Callem...

dnews.net#[4

# 8. Into The Ocean

The continuous thunder had gotten so loud in the few seconds we stood there that I wouldn't have known he was trying to get through the door if his form hadn't moved slightly. My gaze hesitantly left his to check, and sure enough, the handle was jerking up and down sharply. It was definitely still locked, but I had no doubt Callem would figure out how to get it open fast. So then why wasn't I running?

~~ ~~ ~ ~~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~~

My hand slowly rose to the door's handle when it stopped moving. I knew his gaze was still on me, and I knew his song was beginning to take over again. It felt strange not being in control of myself. My left hand slid my badge through the scanner above the handle, the red light becoming green as it read the piece of plastic. I should have been scared. Actually, I was terrified, but as Callem slowly turned the handle down, moving my hand along with it, all I could feel was a need to get closer to him.

~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~~ ~~~

Heat blossomed from my wrist as he gently pulled me inside the dark room. The pools were reflecting the lightning just like in the main tank area, but there was no glass ceiling here, only a few small windows on the back wall, which kept the area relatively dim. I heard the faint click of the door as it shut behind me, then felt myself being pressed up against it. I quickly raised my hands to push him away, but my fingers just ended up splaying over toned muscle instead. Callem's body was still damp, the saltwater beginning to soak into my clothing where my body met his. Normally, once water leaves a pool, its temperature decreases, but somehow it felt far warmer than any of those pools would ever get.

"Parker..."

~~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~~~

His song rang out hauntingly as he spoke, making me register in the back of my mind that he had the ability to sing and talk at the same time. Normally that would have ignited the scientist in me to try to figure out how it happened, but my mind was way too cloudy and Callem's hands felt much too nice as they squeezed my backside, claws easily cutting at the fabric of my pants.

"Parker."

~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~

His tongue scraped from my jawline to beneath my eye as his right hand slid down my leg just enough to lift it up. The motion threw me off-balance slightly and I dropped my badge, but Callem's left hand had such a strong hold that I easily stayed on my feet... well, foot. His hips gave a slight nudge between mine, immediately eliciting a moan I hadn't planned to give. He didn't hesitate in giving another nudge after hearing it, and unfortunately, I was unable to stop another sound from slipping free.

"Parker... Callem's."

His hot breath against my neck forced a strong shiver to run its fingers down my spine. My heart thrummed to the tune of his song as he began rubbing against me. I knew he was trying to mate, and the thought was scary, but the song made me just want to give him what he wanted. Thank god he just wanted to mate and didn't understand that I was wearing pants.

I let him use me until he had finished, staining the front of my pants and shirt. Hell, I was extremely close to following him right over the edge, but he had gotten so into breeding that he had stopped humming his song, freeing the reasonable side of my mind.

"C-Callem?"

He gently set my leg back down before licking my cheek and walking toward the closest research pool. I think it was actually Smithson's where he was working with shade and how fish reacted to changes in light, but now the fish had to worry about changes in mermen because Callem just climbed over the barrier and slid into the water.

"Callem!"

Several big tuna flopped beneath the water, splashing as they tried to get away from the large predator. I saw his tail break the surface, then seconds later he was climbing up and out of the pool with a large fish in one arm and a big fistful of... seaweed in the other? The poor fish was gasping from fear and need for oxygen as I watched Callem calmly walk back over to me. He offered the fish... and I just stared at it.

"Huh?"

He seemed to think for a minute, just nonchalantly holding the dying fish, before he smiled and replied.

"Parker Callem's, Callem fish... f...for Parker."

The excitement in his voice made me push aside what we had just done and smile, taking the large fish from his outstretched clawed hands.

Ergh! It's heavy!

He noticed I was struggling but instead of helping, he just laughed.

Wait... mermen don't laugh.

My gaze darted up to meet his now-electric blue ones, and I gaped.

"Y-You laughed."

His head tilted curiously, and I quickly remembered that he didn't know the word.

"Okay, uhm... fish... thank you..."

His brows knitted together, telling me, again, that he didn't understand.

Dammit!

"Yes fish."

Callem shook his head and pointed at me, then nodded at the fish before pointing back at himself. I was trying to figure out the gestures when he suddenly wrapped the seaweed he had grabbed from the pool around the top of my head.

Wait a second, he isn't just wrapping it, he's weaving it into my hair?

"C-Callem?"

He barked, making me jump and drop the fish as the loud sound echoed in the dark room. I was still trying to figure out exactly what he wanted when he grabbed my wrist and started to pull me toward his pool. A rumble of thunder boomed just outside, lightning quickly following to illuminate the room just long enough for me to realize that he'd grown.

Holy crap, does that rule apply to him, too? The one where, if you keep feeding the fish, it will keep growing? But maybe he was just so malnourished that it affected his growth? Oh man, he is taller than me now.

The sudden blaring alarm from the emergency exit snapped me out of my thoughts right as I stumbled outside and into a deep puddle.

"Ah!"

A second boom of thunder overhead made me jump to my feet right before Callem grabbed my arm again and started pulling me toward the woods at the back of the complex.

"
Callem
. 
No
."

I had to shout to be heard over the storm, but thankfully it got his attention. I quickly pointed toward the parking lot and tugged him in that direction.

"Safe."

He hesitated for a second, then nodded and followed. Our steps were uneven with our injuries and the saturated ground, but we managed to get to my truck as police cars were pulling in. There were only three since it was just an emergency exit alarm and no fire or poison alarms had been triggered with it, so I quickly yelled for Callem to get in, then shoved him over to the passenger's seat before slamming my door shut and flooring the truck.

I half-expected the cops to try to follow us, but they were more focused on what had triggered the door, most likely calling up to the security room to ask what happened on the cameras as they ran inside. Needless to say, I was very happy we were already on the road. Glancing over at Callem, I watched as he eyed the vehicles passing us, biting or growling at the window whenever one came or went too fast.

Haha, just like a dog.

He looked over at me a moment later, and I smiled, then turned my attention back to the road as I got us headed toward the beach. My attention was so focused on trying to see in the bad storm that, when Callem leaned over and licked my cheek, I nearly swerved right off the road.

"C-Callem! No."

He leaned back abruptly, sitting in the seat like a dog with his legs spread and hands between then on the cushion, and that gave me a full view of... err. Shaking my head, I slowed for a stop sign, then turned left, then right before heading down a hill to the beach's parking lot. No one was there, considering it was likely close to midnight and a thunderstorm was raging.

Damn, the waves are really high.

Parking my truck across several spaces, I took a shaky breath and looked over at Callem.

"I know I shouldn't have brought you out of the water, but I won't say that I regret it. I just hope you're healed enough to make it now."

He tilted his head, and I just grinned before shoving my door open. He mirrored my actions, doing the same on his side, and I shook my head.

"You are too smart to be caged by humans."

Of course he didn't hear me in the storm, but that didn't matter. Nodding to myself, I walked to the front of my truck and took his hand, then gently tugged him down the beach toward the churning surf. We got about five feet from the water before I stopped and released Callem's hand. He smiled but looked a bit puzzled. So, with a shaky breath, I pointed toward the water.

"Callem, go."

He blinked, then replied.

"Go?"

I walked forward a few feet until the cool water brushed up against my ankles, then walked back to him and pointed again.

"Callem, go."

He looked at the waves, then back to me.

"Parker go...Parker Callem's..."

He grabbed my hand softly and pulled, making me walk a few feet before I dug in my heels.

"No."

Callem turned, eyes wide and clearly confused.

"P-Parker Callem's."

He stepped up to me, our chests nearly brushing as his hand nudged the seaweed woven into my hair.

"Callem to Parker fish."

His hand motioned toward the ocean as he continued.

"Parker go Callem."

He tugged my hand again, making me step into the churning water. My heart rate quickened as I tried to back up, but he wasn't letting go.

"C-Callem!"

I frantically searched my brain for some way to tell him that I couldn't live where he could. When I thought I figured out something, I quickly pressed my fingers to my lips, then pointed at the waves and shook my head. I knew right away that he didn't understand.

Dammit!

Stepping closer, although it made me go deeper into the water, I carefully pressed my fingers over his gills, then mirrored the action on my own neck before pressing my lips again.

"Parker no," I said as I pointed at the water. Callem seemed to finally understand at least half of what I was saying, but the solution he showed definitely wasn't going to work. He pressed his fingers to his own lips, then to mine. I quickly shook my head, soaked hair splashing water about and making some of the strands get stuck to my face.

"Callem, it won't work."

My gaze rose to meet his before I pointed behind him.

"Callem, go."

His eyes slowly dimmed, and he shook his head fast.

"Darn it."

Leaning up, I pressed my lips to his and was instantly wrapped up in strong muscled arms.

"I'm... so sorry, Callem."

His lips were curved into a hurt frown when I leaned back to look at his face.

"But please, go. I want you safe, and this is the only place they can't get you."

I watched as his breathing hitched and he blinked repeatedly. Everything in me wanted to tell him that he could come home with me, that he could have the pool there, but that was selfish. He wasn't a pet fish or something that should ever be experimented on.

"You deserve to be free."

His fingers pressed beneath my jaw and lifted it so that our eyes met. His were now a dark purple, the color churning like the ocean in different shades around his black pupils. I tried to keep eye contact, but his head dipped and I soon felt his tongue licking at the water on my neck.

"Parker Callem's."

A light breath slipped through my parted lips before I nodded slightly.

"....yes."

I felt his teeth skim along my skin, then snap down, making me gasp. We stayed like that for several seconds before he hesitantly released me and stepped back.

"B-bye, Callem."

I lifted my hand and gave a small wave gesture, then took a step back. It was obvious that he wanted to follow me, but I shook my head when he started taking a step forward.

"No, you need to go."

He pursed his lips, but I just pointed toward the ocean, then turned to walk away. I thought he would grab me and pull me back against him for another hug, or just, I don't know, something. But moments later, I heard a loud splash and whipped my head around. Rubbing my left arm across my eyes, I cleared my vision just in time to see his gray tail splash out of the water one more time before disappearing beneath the waves.

# 9. Keeping A Secret

I didn't remember driving home or where my left shoe had gone. My chest hurt terribly as I trudged up to the door, soaking wet from the rain. It took me a minute to get the key in the door, then push it open enough to walk inside. The loud storm outside was still raging when I slid off my right shoe and walked into Jayson's room. He was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly with his steady breathing. I knew it was so, so wrong to do it, but I couldn't stop myself from whispering his name.

"Jayson."

His breathing remained the same, steady and quiet.

"Jay?"

I saw him take a deep breath, then slowly roll over onto his back. His eyes weren't visible since the lightning seemed to have stopped for the moment, but I could feel them on me in the dark room. When I didn't get into bed or say anything, he slid out from under the blankets and walked over. He knew where I had been, anyone would after I'd vanished in the middle of the night, even if he couldn't see that I was soaked, had white stains on my clothes and seaweed laced through my hair.

"Park."

His fingers gently grasped my elbows, and he took in a sharp breath. My skin was frigid from the rain, but I didn't really feel it anymore, though he must have.

"Parker."

"I..."

My head ducked in upset, shoulders dropping as I looked at the floor between us.

"I let him go."

"Parker, that could cost you your job."

He was whispering, but the urgency was there. I knew it had been a risk, especially with the way we had done it. I should have put in a request form to release the specimen, then let more samples be drawn 
if 
permission was given for release.

There would never be permission.

"I know."

My voice was nearly mute when I replied. Both of us stood there staring at each other until he dropped one of my arms and gently tugged me toward the bathroom. The storm was the only sound besides the now-running water in the bathtub. Once it began filling, he stood and helped me pull off my soaked clothes. He didn't mention the new bite mark on my shoulder or the seaweed in my hair. When I was completely naked he turned back to the water and waited until the tub was full before turning it off. The room was heated by that time, the steam building up even though the door was mostly open.

"Jay..."

He turned to me in the darkness, but again, instead of speaking, he just reached over and gently tugged me toward the bath.

"Jayson, say something. Y-you're mad, I know you are."

He nudged me until I stepped into the tub, but I didn't sit down yet.

"Jay, talk to me."

"What do you want me to say, Park?"

I inwardly flinched at his tone. He sounded almost... defeated? Did I really matter that much to him? He was my roommate. He had a girlfriend—at least I thought he did—so why wasn't he with her during these nights instead of here since I ruined the experiment he stayed home for?

"I... I don't know."

With a quiet sigh, I got myself situated in the bath. The temperature was near scalding, and it felt wonderful as my skin slowly revived from the chill of the storm and ocean. I was just leaning my head back against a towel I kept folded in the back of the shower for this kind of stressful situation when the water suddenly shifted and I felt it rise a few inches. That made my head snap up and mouth drop open.

"J-Jay?"

He looked across the bathtub at me as he lazed on the left side of the spigot. It looked like an odd fit, but he seemed to make it work. I noticed the water move with his arms and yelped when I felt his hands grab hold of my ankles.

"Jay? What are you doing?"

My legs bent out of the water as his hands slid up to the fold in my knees, then pulled them close. I had to use my hands to hold myself above water and couldn't really pull back since the bottom was so slippery. Thus, I ended up in a very naked lap with strong arms loosely looped around my waist.

Okay, this is seriously weird. Not that I haven't dreamt about this type of situation, but definitely not with the same circumstances leading to it.

"Jayson, what the hell are you doing?"

He didn't answer, making me bristle in annoyance.

"Come on, man. You don't just pull some naked guy into your lap and do nothing?"

Err, I meant 
say
 nothing.

"Okay..."

My gaze snapped up to his.

"Huh?"

His mouth covered mine in an extremely chaste kiss. It felt nothing like what I was used to with Callem's way of showing affection, but even having such awkward timing, I couldn't find it in myself to push him away. Sure, I had promised that I belonged to Callem, but he was free now and would probably forget about me soon. I needed to get myself back together, and if Jayson was willing to help me, I had no complaints. He began moving his lips against mine when I didn't try to push him away, and I quickly responded by opening my mouth. I expected him to push his tongue in with the invitation and begin exploring, but he actually pulled away and covered his mouth with his fingers.

"Jay?"

He glanced at the tile wall, and I could have sworn that he almost looked... embarrassed?

"I'm sorry, Park. I... I'm not sure what I'm doing."

Normally, I would be annoyed if someone came onto me so readily and then bailed, but I couldn't blame him. He wasn't even gay. God, he probably figured out I was and decided to try to help me relax. I grinned at that thought and leaned against his chest, loving that he shifted his arms to hold me closer.

"It's okay, Jay. I know you're not gay, and this was really weird, but thanks for trying to cheer me up."

I felt his body tense, but it only lasted for a moment before he chuckled and let his chin rest atop my head.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm cut out for it."

"Haha. Not many are. That's why it's so damn hard to find a decent boyfriend."

He laughed again lightly and then stuck his wet finger in my ear.

"Ah! What the heck?"

I shoved away from him, but he quickly followed, trying to pin me, though it was impossible because of the slippery floor of the bathtub.

"You are 
not
 getting away with that!"

Growling, I used my smaller stature to move around his body and jump on him as he was turning to defend. A good bit of water splashed out of the tub with the motion, but neither of us seemed to care. I landed on his side and got a few good tickles in before he managed to toss me out of the water. I wanted to be mad, but he had a really soft mat right in front of the bathtub that made the fall bearable. He quickly jumped out of the bath right over my body, raining water down on me before he grabbed a towel and ran to his room.

"H-Hey!"

I did the same, drying myself off slightly before tackling him. He had made the mistake of trying to dry his hair and thus, hadn't seen me coming.

"Hah!"

He yelped as I fell into his bed on top of him, but I immediately found myself on my back not a second later, the towel draped over his shoulders lopsidedly while he stared down at me. There was barely enough light to see the smirk on his face, but it was definitely there.

"Hmph! Let go. No fair."

"Hm, no fair? How so?"

I struggled against his grip but got nowhere.

"Hmph! Fine, you win."

He gave a deep chuckle and commented in a cheerful tone. "So, you won't run off anywhere tonight when I pass out?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed. There was nowhere left to run, no one left to run to.

"I'll stay right here."

"Good."

My wrists were suddenly released as he climbed out of bed, tugging on a pair of boxers before flopping back down onto the damp blankets. Aw man, I wish I could have at least looked, but it was way too dark... and now he had boxers on.

"Com'ere, you pain in the butt."

His arms opened, and I quickly scrambled into them right before the blanket was pulled over us.

"So... Does that mean I get to top when we do it?"

"Wanna sleep on the floor?"

"Mm, so tired."

His arms wrapped snugly around me, and he chuckled.

"That's what I thought."

The next day, we were back to normal. Well, almost normal. I could tell that Jay was trying little things differently. He brushed his teeth in the bathroom as I took a shower instead of waiting, then made me breakfast instead of begging me to do it, and he even got my laundry running while I ate.

"Okay, you're scaring me," I said over a bite of hash browns while I sat on the sofa. He grinned and shrugged as he walked over to the door and began slipping on his shoes.

"Where are you going?"

I had gotten a call from my boss when I woke up, and I was on leave until further notice, which I figured would happen, but that meant I could relax for at least a few days before I had to worry about possible job hunting. Jay straightened and rolled his shoulders.

Hm, he's stressed?

That was something he always did right before doing something he didn't want to.

"Well, I figured you'd want to go down to the beach and see if your boy made it."

Oh! That is a good idea.

I quickly shoveled the last of my breakfast into my mouth and ran over, hopping out the door as I pulled on my spare pair of shoes. They were old silver and white tennis shoes, but eh, they would do for now.

"Hah, someone excited?"

I turned as I got to his car, bouncing on my heels while I waited for him to unlock the doors.

"I really hope he made it. He didn't deserve to have to stay with humans."

He smiled and nodded as he hit the electronic unlock button and we both slipped into his car, then headed off to the beach. We scoped out the area where I had released him but didn't see Callem anywhere. There were also no marks leading out of the water, making my heart soar.

"He made it."

Jay put a hand on my shoulder and leaned to press a kiss against my cheek.

"You did well, Park."

I nodded and looked toward the docks.

"Ah, hey, it's Ken. Wanna go say hi?"

Jay shrugged and started over while I followed on his heels.

"Hey, Ken."

My friend looked up from where he loaded some bait into a net, then waved.

"Hey, Doc! What's up?"

We hopped onto the dock and approached him, glancing at the net before meeting Ken's gaze.

"What's up with the bait net? Started shark fishing again?"

He gave me a grim frown and shook his head.

"No... I think that thing I shot before is back. Dunno how it survived, but another one of my big nets was shredded this morning."

My face paled, and my lips pursed.

He couldn't.

"You okay, Doc?"

"Uh, yeah. Hey, um, how much is it for ten pounds of fish?"

He raised his bushy brows and thought for a moment, then gave me a number. "Forty, for you."

I nodded and reached into my back pocket... and realized immediately that I had completely forgotten to grab my wallet.

"Here."

Jay's arm moved in front of me to hand over two twenties. I looked over my shoulder at him, but he was focused on Ken.

"Uh, okay, so, what kind do you want?"

"We'll take the chum salmon."

"Okay, I'll give you four fish. That should be a bit over ten."

I nodded and followed him, getting the fish and a strong rope. During the next twenty minutes, I managed to string the fish on the rope decently enough.

"Sweet, this should work."

"What the hell are you doing, Doc?"

I looked up at Ken and grinned.

"The thing stealing your fish is extremely important, so I'm going to feed it."

"You know it'll start relying on the fish you're givin' it, right?"

"I have a feeling it'll start hunting more once it heals. Can you give us a ride out so we can hook it up?"

Ken seemed confused but ended up shrugging with a nod.

"Yeah, sure, come on."

I hopped up and followed after him, Jay right behind me as we slipped into the glass-bottom boat. While he was steering, the question I figured would come sounded from the front of the boat.

"So, what kinda thing is it?"

Jay and I glanced at each other, then back up at Ken.

"Just an endangered type of dolphin. Could you not tell anyone about it, though? We don't want it caught up for research if we can keep it alive."

He nodded, knowing how against that kind of stuff I was.

"Sure, Doc. Here we are."

I smiled and leaned over the edge of the boat to rope the fish around where he had one of his main nets tied out. It only took a minute to fasten everything up.

"Alright, all done. Let's head back."

He nodded and turned the boat around, getting us back to the dock in minutes. I didn't think Callem would be around so early in the morning, but right as I was climbing up onto the dock, I heard a loud splash in the water and turned to see the rope being tugged on from beneath the water.

"Heh, looks like your idea worked. I'll put out a few extra later if it ends up eating all of those, but that amount of food should easily sate a dolphin."

I nodded, remembering how much he'd eaten while in Jay's pool, then the facility.

"Thanks, man, if it gets washed ashore, please call me first, okay?"

"You got it, Doc. I'll keep an eye on your critter for you."

I patted his shoulder and smiled, then headed back up the beach with Jayson. We had some shopping to do for our own future meals, and I had some serious thinking to do. Obviously, Callem wasn't able to hunt yet, but at least I had the situation under control. For now.

# 10. I Think You're Confused

"Hey, Park, you want some protein shakes? Gonna hit the gym now that you have some time off again?"

I grinned at his joke about me likely being fired as 'time off', but eh, it was a good idea. Shrugging, I replied with a "Yeah" as I grabbed a loaf of bread and some mustard and ketchup. With my insane work schedule and Jayson's odd hours, we hadn't really had much time to shop. Also, after Callem came, we literally didn't pay attention to what we were eating, and soon enough, the fridge was getting close to empty. He sauntered over to the deli counter and got a few pounds of turkey cold cuts and cheese while I fetched a gallon of milk after dropping the condiments and bread into the cart.

"Mmmm."

"Yeah yeah, you better not eat it all this time. I call at least half."

"You do that."

Jay stared for a moment but then just rolled his eyes and began pushing the cart toward the next aisle, the snack one. He tried to pass it on his way to anywhere else, but I grabbed the front and jerked it into the best place on earth.

"Park, you can pick two."

I looked at him like he'd just kicked a puppy and the puppy had been me.

"T-Two?"

"Yes. Two. Remember the last time I said 'pick what you want'?"

I pursed my lips and nudged the tip of my shoe against the tiled floor.

"Parker, being silent isn't going to change the fact that you bought so many cookies and chips last time that you took up 
all 
the space in the cabinets."

Drat.

"Okaaaay."

I turned toward the aisle and stared at all the amazingness I wouldn't be able to take home.

Choosing just two. That is a sin.

My gaze roved over the shelves as I stalked up and down the aisle, pouting silently.

"You have twenty seconds."

"Huh?"

Jay crossed his muscular arms over his chest and raised a brow.

"You've been prowling this aisle for five minutes. Just pick two, or I'll pick them for you."

"But."

"That's it, I'm picking."

I grabbed his right arm as he walked toward a shelf, trying to stop him so I could figure out what to choose. When he grabbed a package of Oreos, I relaxed a little, especially since they were the double-stuffed. Once those were tossed into the cart, he easily dragged me down the aisle before stopping again and reaching up to take down a big bag of Doritos. Cool Ranch, 
mmmm
. Tossing those in the cart, he removed my hand from his bicep
, aww,
 and grabbed my wrist to pull me out of snack heaven.

I groaned but let him pull me, because honestly, it wasn't often that I got the chance to openly stare at his butt since he was too busy pushing the cart with his other hand to notice. An image of Callem flashed into my head, making me almost feel guilty... but that made no sense. We weren't even the same species, and we didn't understand each other, it would never work.

"Hey, Parker?"

"Hm?"

"You can stop staring at my butt now."

Blinking, I quickly realized we were in the check-out line and blushed, grabbing random stuff from the cart to throw onto the counter, trying to look busy. I could hear Jay chuckling as he walked past me to pay.

"By the way, that's not our stuff."

I blanched, glancing back at the guy next to me who was looking quite amused.

"Uh, sorry."

Ducking around Jayson, I watched as he pulled out his wallet.

Wait a second...

"It's my turn to pay."

He raised a brow and swiped his debit card in the machine.

"You're on leave from your job. I'll take this one. And, just in case you forgot, you don't have your wallet on you."

I grumbled beneath my breath but knew I didn't have a ton of money saved up... or my stupid wallet. Well, at least not for Oreos and Doritos. I should have enough for rent for the next month or two, but adding food costs and my sweet tooth into the equation? Not good. Since he paid, I at least pushed the cart out for him and helped load everything up, except for my Oreos and a vanilla protein shake. I know, I know, you should only drink them after a workout, but I was really thirsty and planned on lifting some weights when we got back since Jay had a few in his room that he let me borrow whenever I wanted. Once the cart was empty, I plopped down in the passenger's side seat and quickly tore open the Oreo package before grabbing a cookie. Taking the top off, I ran my tongue eagerly over the delicious cream inside.

"Mmmm."

"Enjoying that?"

I turned my attention toward him to reply, but as soon as my tongue reached out again and took up a good amount of cream, I forgot what I was going to say and just moaned a second time. Jayson glanced around awkwardly for a second, then turned the car on and backed out. Once I had finished four cookies, he made me seal the package, much to my dismay, but eh, at least I got to break the 'no eating in the car' rule he had. However, when he heard the click of me twisting the lid off of the protein shake, he gave me a disapproving look. I scowled at him cutely in return, sticking my tongue out.

"Oh come on, you know I won't spill it. I've never gotten a single crumb in Rachel, your precious SUV."

He grunted, obviously annoyed that I knew the name of his car. I mean seriously, who names their car? Jayson, that's who.

"Whatever."

Smirking from my win, I finished twisting the lid off the drink and chugged the delicious mixture.

"Hmm. So, how would you know if you were gay?"

"Pfft!"

"
Fuck
, Park! 
Seriously
?"

I would have replied, but I was too busy coughing from the small portion of the protein shake I hadn't just spit all over his dashboard.

"God dammit! You are 
so
 cleaning that up when we get back."

Thanks for worrying about me as I cough my brains out.

I finally managed to catch my breath when we pulled into the driveway five minutes later.

"You stay right there. I'm getting the cleaner and a towel from the back."

Taking a deep breath, I twisted the lid back on the drink and leaned against the seat. The door opened seconds later and said cleaning items were shoved into my lap.

"Clean, 
now
."

I glanced sideways at him.

"Don't you want me to help bring stuff in?"

"No, clean."

"Geez, okay okay."

The sun was beginning to come out, raising the temperature inside the car so I didn't bother procrastinating. He would probably lock me out of the house if I even tried. As Jay got the stuff inside, I tugged my shirt off and grabbed the cloth.

Damn, I spit it pretty darn well.

Grumbling, I began spraying the dashboard down and scrubbing, kneeling on the seat so I could get the stickiness of the drink up. After about ten minutes, I leaned back, panting quietly before wiping at my forehead.

"Man, it's getting hot."

Hmm?

Feeling someone watching, I jerked my head to the right, eyes widening in surprise to see Jayson just standing there shirtless.

"Um, I'm almost done."

He didn't respond, making me lick my lips and fidget a little.

"Jay?"

When he didn't reply again, I bristled and grabbed the cleaning spray, aimed, and fired.

"Ah! What the hell, Park?"

"I know you like your car, but come on, man, you look like you're staring at me."

He blinked, gave me a face, then lifted the hose I hadn't noticed was in his hand.

"I was just going to wash it."

"Okay, then stop drooling over it and do it. I'm almost done in here."

He glared and walked around to the front, turning the hose on to spray the car down. When I finally finished cleaning up, I slid out of the car with my drink and the cloth and slammed the door, eying Jay while he worked on scrubbing the hood. Damn, the guy got into cleaning when it came to his car. Not that I minded, those muscles were delicious to stare at, even better since his shirt was off.

Hmm?

Noticing the hose on the ground right behind him, I smirked and sneaked over. I set down my stuff before grabbing the handle and aiming with a cocky grin.

"Hey, smexy."

He turned, getting a full-on shower from the spray.

"Parker!"

Okay, I knew that was a cheap shot, but after all the stress with Callem and my job, I really just didn't care. He leapt from his car's hood, making me yelp as I tried to get to the big apple tree in our front yard before he could catch me. While he was the bulky sexy one, I was the nimble fast one. So, thankfully I was able to get myself up and into the branches before he could grab my foot and pull me back down.

"Get down here, you little monkey."

I knew better than to do that. He would just tickle me till I peed myself, again. Yes, he'd done it before, when we were in high school.

"Make me, butthead."

Normally he'd just wait until I came down since he wasn't the most nimble of climbers, but this time he just grinned and sauntered back toward his car. I thought he would just keep cleaning it and ignore me, but instead he grabbed the hose and began dragging it over.

"Oh, don't you dare."

He looked up at me when he got to the base of the tree, then turned the top of the sprayer until it clicked to a specific setting.

"Do what? This?"

Suddenly, I had a straight shot of water blasting me in the face.

"Ah."

My hands reached up to grab the branch I knew was there, but the darn water made it too slippery so when I tried to lift my weight up, my fingers quickly slipped from the wet bark.

"Shit."

There was no other branch directly below it to grab so I began freaking out in anticipation of the landing. There wasn't even a way to turn around and try to land on my feet, even though that would still cause an injury. I'd rather break a foot than a neck. Except, when I did land, albeit roughly, I definitely didn't feel anything break...

"You can stop panicking now. I've got you."

Eh?

Looking up, I realized that Jay had indeed caught me. The amount of relief that brought made my body sag in his arms, forcing him to hold me tighter or let me fall to the grass below. Thankfully he chose the former.

"Hey, you never answered my question before."

"Hm?"

"How do you know if you're gay?"

I nearly spat again, but thankfully I wasn't drinking anything. Seriously, who asks that so randomly? Twice! After the amount of girls Jayson had had over, I could honestly say I was about ninety-nine percent positive that he was all sorts of straight. However, since he seemed so determined to get a stupid answer to a question, I really didn't know how to reply to with words. I just reached up and grabbed two fistfuls of his short hair, then yanked him down until our lips smashed together.

Okay, the dreams were true, his lips feel fucking amazing and this time I'm not half out of it so I can actually enjoy.

Grinning against those luscious lips, I swiped my tongue along his bottom one, but instead of getting a moan like one would expect, he actually yelped, dropped me, and bolted back to his car.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted, slightly crouched behind his SUV. Pushing myself up on my arms, I raised my brow and snickered.

"That, good sir, was a kiss... and also the response you wanted. You do remember you did that in the bathtub, right? Also, you're obviously not gay."

He looked a bit confused at first, but then a big grin broke across his lips and he stood up.

"Sweet!"

I picked up the hose from where he'd dropped it and brought it back over, shaking my head.

"Well, now that we've got that all figured out, here. I'm going to go change clothes."

I handed him the hose and walked toward the door... except a certain jet of water suddenly sprayed me in the butt.

"Hey!"

Spinning around, I saw Jayson laughing like crazy and growled.

Oh? You wanna mess with me, eh?

Running over behind him, I grabbed the hose from his hand with my right one, then yanked the front of his pants open just long enough to lock the thing on 'spray' and shove it right down.

"Woah!"

Before he could grab me again or get the nozzle out of his pants, I was back inside, skidding across the floor to my room. If I hadn't slipped on the hardwood in the hallway, I might have been able to get my door shut and locked before he caught up to me. Instead, he yanked me up by the neck and slammed me against the wall, but when I looked up into his eyes, expecting anger. I didn't see any.

"Jay?"

His hands slowly moved to either side of my head, making my breath hitch. My heart was nearly beating out of my chest when he began to lean forward.

"I wanna check again," he whispered, lips just barely brushing against my own.

Knock knock knock.

Jay jumped back, gaze darting every which way as I quickly ran to answer the door.

Oh my god! He almost kissed me for real.

I was torn between running back to help him 'double-check' and seeing who was at the door. Said door won out, though. Swinging it open, I stood there, a bit confused and definitely surprised.

"Uh... Mr. Crowery?"

My boss looked at me with a slight grin, making me glance down, then back up with a blush tinting my cheeks.

"U-Uh, the hose... malfunctioned."

"Indeed. Well, I've come over to formally request your help on a new research project."

Eh? I'm not being fired?

"S-Sure. What did you need me to do?"

He smiled at my enthusiasm and handed over a clipboard with a good amount of papers on it. I glanced at the first one, then paled, holding the board back out to him.

"I won't do it."

My boss held his left hand up in a 'wait' gesture, then quickly explained.

"We aren't going to try to capture him again."

Huh?

"You... aren't?"

He nudged the clipboard back, and I hesitantly tucked it beneath my arm.

"I saw the video surveillance of you and Callem before he pulled you out the door."

Heat rushed to my cheeks immediately, making my blush ten times worse.

"Since he seems to have some sort of... interest in you, I think you'll be able to research him in his natural habitat."

"Um... With all due respect, sir, he's almost drowned me twice."

"But he is learning, is he not?"

Dammit, he has a point. Callem knows I can't breathe underwater now.

"I guess so."

"Good. So we have a deal. You research him where he belongs and write down your interactions, and we will not bother him at all."

My head snapped up, our eyes meeting again.

"No one from the research facility will bother him? No boats or watchers? Just Callem and I?"

He nodded, and I sighed, eyeing the hand he was now offering. I really just wanted to let Callem be, but if I did, they would easily find him again, being so close to shore. I grabbed his hand and shrugged.

"I guess I accept the project."

"Good, I'll expect a report about how he is doing tomorrow."

I nodded, then watched as he turned and walked back to his car. Moments later, he was gone.

"Man."

Leaning back against the doorjamb, I ran shaky fingers through my messy black hair and groaned. I wasn't fired, which was good, but now I had to bother Callem again or risk him being captured a second time.

"This sucks."

Arms gently wrapped around my waist right before Jay nuzzled his nose into the nape of my neck and took a deep breath. And damn it if I my legs didn't wobble when he softly blew it out against my sensitive skin.

"What did he want?"

You're not gay, Jayson.

Or at least that's what I wanted to say, but instead I just rested my cheek against his soft hair and let out a shaky breath.

"He said they wouldn't recapture Callem, if I agree to study him where he is."

I felt his arms tighten gently and relaxed back against his firm body.

"I've gotta go. He wants a report tomorrow."

He put his hands on my elbows, turning me so that I had to look at him.

"Aren't you going to change and get some lunch?"

"I-I've got a couple Oreos left in my truck..."

"Parker."

His look made me fidget and stomp past him, grabbing the bag of Doritos and a new protein shake before walking back out the door. I was just reaching for the passenger's side handle of my truck so I could set the food down when Jay grabbed my wrist, forcing me to swing around. The momentum made my back hit the door, but he seemed completely fine with that as he zeroed in like a predator who had just caught himself some prey.

"Jay, dammit. You aren't gay. You freaked when I kissed you a few minutes ago, remember?"

"You didn't give me a chance to double-check."

His voice was quiet but deep as he leaned in, and since I had nowhere to go, I forced myself to relax and let him do what he wanted. Believe me, once his lips were back on mine, I didn't have to force myself all that much. After a minute, I felt him pull away slightly to catch his breath and took my chance.

"So, wanna stick your dick up my butt yet, big boy?"

He coughed, jumping back and hitting his chest as he choked on air. Okay, that was pretty funny, but I knew he'd recover in a second and be mad so I quickly ran around to the driver's side and climbed in, tossing my food on the other seat before getting the doors locked just in time. A loud bang sounded on my window as he pounded his fist against it moments later.

"Parker!"

I stuck my tongue out at him and gave a slight wave before backing my truck out of the driveway and heading off toward the beach.

# 11. You Can't Have Just One! Damn...

As soon as I slid out of my truck with the clipboard I always kept on the seat, I took in a deep breath and sighed.

"Nothing better than spending a day at the beach."

Those words made me smirk as I eagerly walked over the shifting sands. My short black hair was blowing like crazy and getting in my eyes, but I was used to it after so many days researching on the dock or a boat. I had already sprayed on some sunscreen while in the truck, so there was nothing left to do but the work that I loved.

Ken's large fishing boat was out, telling me that he was likely to be gone until late, good. I didn't want him bothering me, in case Callem surfaced. Having to explain to someone that mermen suddenly existed again wouldn't be easy. My feet clacked on the worn wooden planks as I walked down to the edge of the peer, knowing that Callem would probably be over by the tie-out net in the distance. I almost wanted to call out to him, but he was no longer meant to interact with me, even though I had a feeling the lab might want that to occur anyways.

Instead, I dropped down into the folding chair I had left out for relaxing and crossed my legs, setting the clipboard overtop them after getting comfortable. I filled out all the necessary information on the first page—name, estimated age, etcetera, and then kept an eye out for the next few hours. When I finally sighted Callem, he was out by the fish net, heading toward shore. After a quick glance to either side, I sighed with relief to see that most of the beachgoers had already packed up and left. It was a pretty overcast day and had drizzled once or twice, so that probably made them leave early.

When I saw the partial outline of a dolphin swim beneath the dock, I hopped up and walked over to the edge. To say that I wasn't happy to see him would be a lie. He was amazing, and I was extremely glad that I had helped him and managed to get him safely back to his real home. Another minute later, I saw a big splash a few yards ahead and smiled.

"There you are, Callem. Great to see you're okay."

Another splash closer to me had my heart skipping a beat. The choppy water made it hard to see his specific details with all the sand and sediment being kicked up, but I knew it was him. When his tail didn't pop up again, I sat cross-legged near the edge and scribbled notes for the better half of an hour. My boss was going to get his report, even though Callem wasn't doing much. I could definitely bullshit a good amount. Of course I refused to lie in my reports, but I could easily fluff it up quite nicely. After years of researching, I was at least good at that. It was sometime around five when I saw another splash, one much closer.

"Hm? Wanna talk now, Cal?"

I set my clipboard down and scooted closer to the edge, letting my feet hang over it. He splashed again, drawing a quiet laugh from me as I kicked lightly. I almost wished the dock was low enough so that my feet could dip into the water... but then again, it would probably wash away in a simple storm if that were the case.

"You're acting a bit weird today. Finally sick of me?"

There was a sudden splash just to my left, making me jump a little, then laugh.

"Alright alright, you're playing with me. Come say hi, Callem."

I leaned over, reaching my hand toward the water with a smile. Of course I wasn't going to go swimming with him in such high waves, but I did want to see him and make sure he was doing well. My gaze skimmed the water, expecting to see his shadow again or at least another splash. Instead, I heard a car door slam over by the dock and looked up to see Jayson hopping out of his SUV. He didn't normally come down to the beach when I was on an assignment, or at least come directly to where I was researching with his car.

"Hey!" I shouted to him, waving with a smile. I was about to turn back to the water to see if Callem had surfaced yet when I noticed Jay looking a bit pale and making weird gestures with his arms as he ran toward me.

~Jayson

That isn't Callem! God dammit, god dammit!

"Parker! Get away from the edge!"

I was literally running, fearful to look away from my friend, afraid that he'd just think I was messing with him. But I wasn't! I knew that mer wasn't Callem. Honestly, I had hoped and prayed when I had seen it while up in the parking lot overlooking the beach that it was just a dolphin, but no. It was longer than Callem but a bit slimmer. And it definitely didn't have a complete dolphin outline.

"Parker!" 

He finally seemed to realize that I wanted his attention and began getting up, but right as he turned and started to kneel with his right leg extended a little farther over the edge of the dock...

~Parker

I heard him shouting just in time to turn and see someone come out of the water. Callem was just going to be playful, but Callem didn't have dark red hair, or shifting green eyes... or that face. My lungs thankfully managed to grab a breath of air before I was abruptly pulled right off the dock and into the crashing waves. The wooden planks had knocked my jaw but luckily not hard enough to make me lose consciousness.

I was pulled through the water at a much faster pace than Callem had managed, most likely because this merman was not injured. My left hand was solidly clamped over my nose to keep water from being forced into it from the harsh current and speed. I was expecting to be drowned. Had no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be so lucky this time, but suddenly the hand on my ankle disappeared.

Deciding not to look a gift seahorse in the mouth, I scrambled toward the surface, kicking my shoes off in the process to lower the drag and help me be able to move better. Thankfully there were no rip-currents so I managed to break through the surface and pull in a much-needed breath. I didn't have to look to know that I was drifting farther and farther away from the shore, though. With the waves being two or three feet high and the current pulling me along with ease, I definitely wasn't swimming back without a chance to catch my breath completely, but swimming back wasn't what my main focus was on right then.

Jesus M. Christ, there's another mer.

And it obviously wasn't friendly.

Okay, what can I do?

I did my best to calm my breathing so I could float a bit more than rely completely on swimming, switching between holding my breath every few seconds to taking in a deep one. That's when I noticed something only a few yards away.

Oh my god, yes! The cast net!

I could have squealed like a little schoolgirl with excitement as I scrambled (dog-paddled) toward the heavy wooden post sticking out of the ocean. There was no doubt in my mind that the mer would return, and honestly, I had no idea why it had even let me go, but I didn't waste a second getting to my woody savior and climbing to the top, about three feet above the waves. It wasn't safe by a long shot, but at least I was out of the water.

~Jayson

"Parker!"

Everything paused around me as I stumbled to the edge of the dock, looking frantically for Park. I tried to shout, but shock made my voice nearly mute as wind whipped around me and waves crashed below.

"Oh god, Parker."

I was just beginning to go into a panic attack when I saw something struggling out of the water a good ways out to sea.

"Holy shit. Yes! That's my Park!"

I think I literally hopped up and down twice before whirling on my heels. I needed to go get our research boat from where it was docked near the shore, but a more pressing matter immediately made itself known. A very naked, very angry-looking merman with dark red hair and churning green eyes slowly pulled its lips back from very uhm... nice? Looking teeth. I knew from research that they didn't appear sharp, but there was no way I was going to let it get a hold of me. Every single tooth was serrated, made to tear scales and skin away from anything that made the mistake of crossing its path while hunting. Granted, large carnivores weren't often on the menu, but I was no large carnivore compared to him.

I soon found myself staring, even though I knew it was a bad habit and generally meant I was showing aggression to another, but I still couldn't wrap my mind around, well, him. He was hissing now, but that wasn't what was drawing my attention. That would be the bubbles pouring out of the flaring gills around his neck and hell, even on his torso.

"I dislike humans who stare."

My head jerked up, eyes wide. I hadn't even noticed he'd stopped hissing.

"Wait... you just talked."

He smirked, raising a brow beneath his soaked hair. I expected a response, but unfortunately it was physical, not verbal. His fist connected with my lower stomach, forcing an immediate gag response for the lunch I had eaten right before coming there. My whole body shook as I emptied my stomach on my hands and knees, not exactly happy as his deep laugh sounded above the wind and waves.

"Screw you..."

I know, taunting something that could easily kill and or eat me was never a good idea, but I rarely had good ideas when puking my guts out.

"Such a stupid human."

Giving one final gag, I wiped my mouth and struggled to my feet. My lower belly was literally burning in pain, and I didn't doubt that I already had some serious bruises beginning to form.

"At least you can actually take a hit. Too bad I doubt you'll handle another without drowning."

I knew I was in trouble, but when I managed to clear my blurry vision enough to see him again, I noticed something else... or someone else.

"C-Callem?"

The mer in front of me nonchalantly glanced over his shoulder as the other approached.

Oh man, please like me more than this asshole. Pleeeease. I'll give you a cookie. Fish! I'll make you a damn fish-cookie.

Callem stopped right next to the other, then crushed my hopes and dreams of living. He fucking began to nuzzle the guy's shoulder and almost sounded like he was purring. The slightly taller mer ran his fingers softly through Callem's wet hair, then licked his forehead before turning his attention back to me.

"I don't like it when humans mess with my little brother."

Of course. Of. Fucking. Course. Man, Park will kill me if he hears all the cursing I am doing in my head.

"W-Well that's great... W-we have no intention of doing any sort of messing!"

His eyes narrowed on me, then darted over my shoulder before returning to me. I knew he was trying to make me look away, but I wasn't that stupid. Parker would probably argue that most times, but I wasn't. I swear.

"No intention? Is that why my brother insists on staying in this area? He vanished during a storm many nights ago, and now I find him pining after some disgusting human male."

He looked over my shoulder again but didn't let his gaze linger long before returning to meet mine. Well, at least I knew Parker was likely still there.

"Listen, Parker didn't mean to uh, submit? Or do whatever it was that he did to show your brother that he was interested in him in any way. It was a mistake."

Wait a second...

"But hey, why can you talk, but he struggles with it?"

The red-haired mer's brows shot up as he looked sideways at his brother, then back to me.

"He does not talk."

My head tilted slightly. I knew that was wrong.

"Yes, he does. He knows Parker's name, and they can somewhat communicate. He learns insanely fast."

The mer seemed shocked, which unfortunately led to anger.

"He has never spoken to me. Why should I believe you?"

"U-Uhm... because he can talk. I swear."

My gaze darted to Callem, and I pursed my lips.

"Callem? Parker needs Callem..."

He looked at me lazily, then turned to lick his brother's shoulder a few times. The taller mer didn't look impressed in the least. 
Shit!

"I-I swear. He'll talk to Parker. They've talked a lot."

"Hmm..."

His silence made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Alright, human. If you can go get your friend and bring him back to this dock without setting foot on the beach, I will humor you, one time. If your Parker is able to make my brother speak, I may reconsider eating you both."

Okay! I can totally do this! The boat isn't on the beach so I just need to get to it and save Park!

While I was silently celebrating in my head, his clawed fist shot out, slamming into my previously injured chest and sending me straight over the edge of the dock... and into the crashing waves.

# 12. He Sings Of Death

"Jayson!"

I knew he couldn't hear me over the roaring waves, but I couldn't help but scream as he was forced backward off of the dock and into the churning ocean. My heart was beating out of my chest when I watched him disappear beneath the surface. Normally he was a decent swimmer, but after an accident in high school playing football, he began to have problems with his leg. There was no way he would be able to fight the current. My gaze darted up toward the dock, meeting Callem's and the other mer's, then back to the water.

Well, if I die, at least it will be in the ocean that I love.

That thought made jumping off the worn wooden post and diving into the dark water a little easier. That's also when I realized that I couldn't see anything beneath the waves, even when I opened my eyes in the burning saltwater.

Darn it!

The current took hold of my body immediately, trying to drag me farther out. Instead of fighting it, I let it pull me for a minute before heading parallel to the shoreline. It took a lot of effort, but I managed to break free of the current and keep my head just barely above water. I chanced a look around then, noticing that I was a good ways from the dock, but when a blond head broke the surface a few yards away, I immediately zeroed in on it.

"
Jay
!"

He thankfully heard me and turned, a cocky smirk on his exhausted face. I could tell he was having trouble with his leg so I quickly swam over, ducking under the swelling waves a few times to keep from wasting energy riding atop them. When I came up a third time, we were right next to each other, panting heavily but thankfully still alive. The dock was pretty far away but possibly doable if we were careful and didn't try to race for it. But was going there a good idea with that aggressive Mer waiting for us?

"I-It's his brother," Jay panted, making me almost swallow a huge mouthful of water in sheer surprise.

"What?"

"T-Talk... later."

Oh, right. About to drown.

"Grab on."

He stared at me in disbelief, though I was pretty sure the unbelievable items were standing over on the dock right then.

"Just hold on, dammit! I know you can't swim back."

"Neither can you with me holding onto you."

"Too bad."

He looked like he was going to argue, but I shot him a death glare over my shoulder and he quickly grabbed onto my belt loops.

"Take a breath, going under."

After counting to three, I did just that and dove, pacing myself as best I could against the current. Every time I thought I was getting closer and surfaced to check and get a breath, we didn't seem to have moved more than a few feet, and I was seriously losing energy.

"Park, y-you're getting too tired."

Let's all state the obvious.

"I'm letting go."

My head snapped to the side, though I couldn't completely see him since he was floating right behind me.

"No, you aren't."

I began swimming again but immediately realized I felt much less of a pull from the water.

"Jay?"

Spinning in place, I noticed him drifting farther out with a cocky smile on his face.

"Jay! Come back."

I swam toward him but stopped when a loud engine revved nearby.

Oh thank god!

The crew from the approaching medium-sized white boat tossed out a white life preserver to me, then Jay, and we quickly began pulling ourselves closer. I didn't have the energy to pull myself completely on board, but thankfully several hands grabbed my shoulders and hauled me up. The landing was a bit rough, but when I looked up, I understood why. Guns, quite a few actually, were pointed at me from mere inches away. They all looked like high-power rifles or... dart guns?

"What the hell?"

They definitely weren't from the research center since ours were just black and labeled with our insignia—a dolphin fin just above a line of water. No, these were gray and black with a different mark on the barrels.

"These aren't mers."

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~~

"Dammit, so it's just the two on the dock."

~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~

The man who was talking snapped his head toward the dock, his face skewing in fear.

"They're beginning to sing, Captain."

~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The boat began moving again, picking up speed by the second as Jay and I stared down the guns pointed at us.

"Who are you guys?" I asked, honestly confused out of my mind. The man right in front of me, who was clad in a black sweater and dark blue jeans, lifted his gun and turned to begin aiming at the dock area.

"We're researchers from Cal-Waves."

"W-What? You're from the research center up north?"

"Yes, and you talk too much."

~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~~~~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I was about to question him again when he turned and I heard his dart gun go off, then felt a sharp sting in my right shoulder not a second later.

He just shot me with an animal tranquilizer?

"Captain, the song is getting louder, and the taller one just dove into the water."

The man who had shot me turned to look where his crewman was pointing as others began to move their guns from us and point them in the same direction.

"Aim for the injured one on the dock, he's the one we almost caught with our shark hook."

Those bastards. They are the ones responsible for Callem's injury? They almost killed him.

~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Sir, it's getting much louder. It must be the other mer coming close."

"Just have your guns ready when it surfaces."

The men nodded, but my vision began to swim, then blur in and out. I knew that wasn't Callem's song and I probably wasn't going to wake up from this, considering how aggressive the new mer seemed, but that was okay. I was worried for Jayson, but these men deserved what they got from Callem and his brother for what they had done to him.

That was my last thought as I was taken over by the drugs and pulled into complete darkness.

A hard thump against the rear of the boat had several sailors stumbling over themselves, stepping on the two unconscious people on the floor as they tried to keep from falling. Another hard hit rocked the boat, literally forcing one of the gunmen to stumble out the open side door, which had been used to pull the two humans they had saved on board.

The second the man hit the water, there were multiple harsh splashes, then nothing for a long minute.

"C-Captain... the siren stopped, but Will's not coming up."

Several men had their guns trained on the open space, waiting for the mer to surface, but when something finally did, it was just their colleague's corpse covered in claw and bite marks. Two people began to reach down so they could pull the body back on board, but the captain quickly shouted.

"Don't go near the water. This one isn't injured."

"Captain, the other just dove in."

The older man growled and cocked his gun, which was definitely not loaded with drugs.

"Get ready and turn on the fish radar. We need to see them coming in order to get any chance at a shot. Also, deploy the drift net. They might be aggressive, but they're stupid enough to get caught by a shark hook, so I'm pretty sure we can get them in the net."

Three men toward the back nodded and tossed out a large black net that was already fastened to two metal pieces on either side of the back of the boat.

"All set, Captain."

Not even a second after the man had shouted, the boat jerked sharply to the left, then began drifting backward at an accelerated pace.

"Wh-What the hell?" the captain shrieked from surprise.

"They've got the net," one of his crewman answered right before another shouted "Captain?"

The boat went airborne as it was forced to jump a wave, slamming down hard before there were two simultaneous splashes, and then the net disappeared beneath the surface.

"Oh shit. Get to the fro—"

The back slammed down once, throwing all the men off-balance as water splashed aboard.

~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~

Another sharp pull on the net made the boat tip backward, the front rising out of the water several feet before smashing back down, crashing on the waves.

"It's starting to sing again," someone shouted frantically.

~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

One man had been thrown overboard by the abrupt force, and immediately two splashes appeared near where he'd landed in the water, then he suddenly vanished beneath the waves with a panicked scream.

"They're trying to get us overboard, then drag us down."

"Captain? What do we do?"

The older man jerked the side of his mouth up and suddenly grabbed the smaller man's shirt.

"Captain?"

With a sadistic grin, he shoved the man overboard, then hoisted his gun and aimed.

"Come on, you bastards. Come get the bait."

It didn't take long before there were two splashes on either side of the struggling man... and then the loud crack of a gunshot.

The water went silent, the attacked man floating on the surface, already dead.

"Hmm... They got away, but I'm pretty sure I hit one."

The last three crewmen were near the back of the boat, eyes wide and honestly terrified at what their captain had just done. The captain looked toward them and licked his lips. He couldn't haul one of the heavy mers onto the boat if he threw another overboard, so unfortunately, that was out of the question.

Claws scratched quietly as waves crashed around the drifting vessel. The three men near the back of the boat were the first to see it, but by that time, it was far too late to give any kind of useful warning. The reddish-brown haired mer let his gills flare open on his torso and neck as he took in a deep breath. By then the captain had noticed his crew's terrified faces and turned, but again, it was too late. The male mer perched on the bow of the boat paused for one second, lungs filled, then gave a literal ear-piercing screech.

The effect was immediate, and all of the humans tried to cover their ears to stop the painful sound. It might have worked if it was Callem, but this mer knew exactly what he was doing. The captain fell first, being the closest to him, but his men were quick to follow just like stunned fish in a school. When the last one dropped, the mer jumped to the wet floor of the boat and grabbed the captain by the throat. The mer's arm bled from having taken the bullet from the recent gunshot, but he did not seem to show any signs of pain as he tossed the human overboard. He ignored the two unconscious humans in the middle, walking past them to grab the remaining three of the crew and toss them over the side.

"Hmph. Worthless humans."

"Arf!"

Claws scratched along the floor, and the merman turned to see his little brother trying to scramble aboard.

"You never did like attacking vessels, even when you were starving and needed food."

Callem looked up with worried dark blue eyes and barked again, making his brother shake his head but walk over to offer a hand anyways.

"Come on, I know you want your human. I didn't kill him."

When he pulled his brother aboard, the smaller mer immediately scrambled to the unconscious black-haired man, pulling him into his lap like one might a doll before lapping at his wet hair eagerly. Ignoring his brother for the moment, the larger male walked calmly over to the other unconscious man, eyeing the bruise that was forming along his torso with nonchalance.

"I knew you weren't going to make it to him.You knew you weren't going to make it. You weren't kicking properly with your left leg, making you list in that direction and get caught in the current."

The mer glanced at his brother as he began to nudge the unconscious human with his foot. The younger mer was completely ignoring his words, one hundred percent focused on the human he was holding. Turning his full attention back to the human in front of him, the older mer chuckled and gave him a good kick, pushing him along the floor toward the small open latch-door.

"You lied. He does not speak, and he likely never will. As soon as he comes to his senses about that human, I will kill it, too."

He gave the body a few more nudges, smiling as the man's head fell over the edge and was splashed by the breaking waves.

"Goodbye, human."

"W...Wait."

~Parker

My throat hurt terribly as I tried to get the most important word of my life to leave my lips. Relief flooded through my system when the new mer turned to look at me and stopped kicking Jayson overboard.

"What, human? I have no use for this one, and soon, my brother will have no use for you."

I racked my brain for any reason I could give him to save my best friend, but with Callem nuzzling at my neck and the drug still strong in my blood, it was becoming more and more difficult.

"They will find... him again."

The mer's head tilted, and he turned to face me. Callem shifted his face away from my neck, turning his attention to his brother.

"How so?"

"Most times... when a scientist finds... something interesting that might... get away... they'll tag it."

"He has no such device on him. I am not stupid enough to leave such things on my brother."

"No... not that... version."

Man, it is getting hard to stay awake.

"Some groups use a spear. They inject a chip, or shoot a dart that does it. It tracks him."

His eyes narrowed, and he walked toward me, kneeling before grabbing my throat.

"Do not play with me, human. Where is the chip item?"

Everything about this new mer was terrifying, and I had no idea how he had managed to kill all the scientists formerly on board, but I wasn't quite interested enough to find out the hard way.

"You need to scan... him. I have something... at my house. It scans for the chip."

"Are you lying to me, human? I have no issue with letting your friend drown."

"I am not... lying. If he has the chip, it will show... it."

"And you can get it out of him?"

"No... but I know someone, a doctor... he's a good friend... he would... take it out."

"I don't trust you."

I had to smile at that and probably would have laughed if my throat wasn't so rough from the sea water I had accidentally swallowed a few times and he wasn't squeezing it slowly.

"Good. Don't trust... anyone. But I don't know... how they knew you... two were here, if they... hadn't chipped him."

I began to drift off as he said something else. Of course I wanted to know what it was, but with my last bit of consciousness, I said what was most important to me at that second.

"Please don't... kill Jay... I'll help your brother, so please don't... kill him."

Then everything went black again.

I awoke to the feeling of cold water splashing on my face. The sand against my cheek told me we were back on the beach, but I felt like someone had tied a bunch of bricks to my body, making me work to push myself into a partial sitting position, only to get splashed again.

"Arf!"

Looking to the right, I had to grin.

"Callem... having fun playing in the water?"

He barked again and ran over, dropping down next to me for a few licks and a nuzzle.

"Why do you call him that?"

My head turned and tilted up a bit so I could see Callem's brother standing a few feet away and...

"Thank you so much for not killing him."

The mer ignored my comment as he shifted Jay, who was hanging over his right shoulder. I quickly stammered an answer to his question so he wouldn't get annoyed.

"I-I just wanted to give him a name so I could try to communicate."

"Well... can you? Your friend said he could speak, but my brother has yet to say a word to you."

"Y-Yeah. We've talked several times, but he has trouble understanding. Why is that?"

I looked at Callem, but he seemed much more interested in licking my cheek than talking.

"That is not your business. You will take me to your home and get your friend. If anything bad happens or extra humans arrive, I will not hesitate to kill you both, and them."

I do not doubt that in the least.

Giving a tired nod, I fought to get to my feet. Callem barked at me before scooping my body into his arms a moment after I managed to get up. It was humiliating, but not having to walk over the shifting sand was a relief. I hadn't intended to bring one merman home only days ago, but perhaps having one that knows English will at least make things less... dangerous?

Hah. Right.

We're so dead.

# 13. How Dare You

"Can you drive, human?"

I glared  at the new mer and squirmed my way out of Callem's arms as we got closer to my truck. Sharp pebbles from the asphalt parking lot dug into my heels, but I could deal with it.

"Of course. Get your brother and Jayson in the back, and don't just throw Jay."

I saw him pause through the tinted glass window after he'd opened the door, catching him about to toss my friend in without a care. He hesitated at my warning, though, then just dropped him in the back.

Well, at least it isn't a throw
.

He then somehow managed to get Callem into the truck without speaking before hopping in himself.

Okay, now I just need to stay conscious enough to drive. No problem.

Rolling my eyes, I slid into the driver's seat and sighed before turning on the truck. The air conditioning definitely woke me up a bit as it slapped cold air in my face. I reached over and snapped it off, then slowly began backing up. The drive was pretty slow because of the diminishing weather conditions, but we managed to make it back to my place after about half an hour. Both mers were silent on the drive, but I was able to hear Jayson moving around in the back, trying to wake up from the sedative.

I pulled into the driveway, opening the garage door with the button I kept on the car's flip-down sun visor. When I had the car inside, I pushed the button again, then got out as the door shut itself. Callem's brother was already getting out, holding a squirming Jay over his shoulder even though my friend was already obviously awake. He didn't seem to have enough energy to really fight him yet, though, so I suppose it was better than leaving him in my truck since I definitely couldn't carry him right then. While Callem's brother set Jayson on the sofa, I got my phone out and called Oliver. Thankfully he picked up on the third ring, though he obviously had been sleeping due to the sound of his scratchy voice.

"Parker..."

"Uh, long story short. Callem has a brother. We were attacked while researching them. The people are dead thanks to said brother, but now we think Callem has a chip."

"I just woke up. How are you today?"

"Dammit, Oliver, come on."

There was a tired sigh on the other end of the line and then the sound of blankets being pushed away.

"Man, you have the worst timing. I literally just got to bed twenty minutes ago."

"Anyways, I need you here now. The chip needs removed from Callem."

"Did you scan him yet?"

He paused at the end of the question and a yawn took over as I walked into my room to find my equipment. I really needed to give it back to the facility... later. I dug through my top dresser drawer, finding the scanner after only a few seconds.

"I got it, gonna go scan him real quick and call you back. Get ready to head over and bring a dart."

Oliver grunted on the other end of the phone, then disconnected the call before I could say anything else. With a mental shrug, I put the phone in my back pocket and walked back out into the living room.

"Can you tell him to hold still? I need to run this over his body until it beeps."

Callem's brother bristled slightly, his gills flaring, but he reluctantly nodded after a moment and turned to his brother who was sitting on the sofa near Jay's outstretched body. 

Callem glanced up at me but turned to his brother when he sat down beside him and began humming and licking at his neck. Since he seemed distracted, I took the opportunity and ran the scanner up and down his arms and chest, checking his shoulders before dipping down toward his legs. At first I didn't get any signal, but when I doubled back and checked around his gills, the device beeped loudly, startling both brothers into hissing.

"It's okay. It just found the chip, but it's definitely not in a good place."

Callem tilted his head in confusion while his brother narrowed his eyes at me.

"I-I mean, it's right next to his gills."

I pointed to the spot before straightening up and fishing my phone back out.

"Let me call my friend back and tell him. He should be able to remove it, but he'll probably have to make Callem go to sleep for the surgery."

The bigger mer raised a brow, making me lick my lips and think for a moment.

"Um... he may need to drug Callem so he won't be hurt. He will have to cut the chip out."

He slowly nodded right before the doorbell rang. Both mers immediately snarled, of course.

"It's just my friend. That sound lets me know that he's here."

"Too loud." Callem's brother, whom I'm now just going to think of as Mellac, said.

"That's the point."

Giving them both a 'wait' gesture with my hand, I turned and headed to the door to let Oliver in. He looked like he had just fallen out of bed after not sleeping, which he had, so I quickly stepped aside and let him stalk over to the mers.

"I assume you're the one who can talk?" he grumbled, glaring at Mellac, who nodded without much emotion in his eyes besides annoyance.

"Alright. I'm going to dart your brother."

Mellac immediately bared his teeth, but Oliver just didn't seem to care enough to back away. Sure, he was probably scared, but he was also half asleep... which often made him a tad stupid.

"Listen, Mr. Fish. I'm seriously tired, and I am doing this because my friend asked me to. If you don't let me to put him to sleep, then I won't get the chip out because he'll probably decapitate me."

Mellac glanced at me, and I quickly gave him a definition he could understand.

"Callem would kill him."

"Ah. Yes, he would," Mellac replied with a grin.

Oliver already had the dart out, getting it ready.

"Can you hold him still? He needs to stab him with the dart so he'll go to sleep. It shouldn't last very long, then he'll wake up."

Mellac looked at his brother's confused face and smiled softly.

Wow...he actually doesn't look murderous right now.

"Callem, be good and don't hurt anyone, okay? They want to help you."

Callem didn't seem to understand, but the second Mellac grabbed his brother's shoulders, Oliver slammed the dart into the younger mer's left arm, then jumped back as Callem tried to lunge at him. The drugs took effect rather quickly, though, making Callem's movements grow sluggish fast. His brother held him until he was mostly asleep, then he carefully laid him down along the sofa, shoving Jay off without much of a care.

"Do it now. I will hold him in case he is not completely asleep yet."

Oliver nodded, not bothering to look at either brother as he plucked a few instruments from his medical bag he'd brought with him.

"Alright, let's do this."

If there was one thing Oliver was, it was adept at his job. He wasn't our top surgeon and dissection specialist for nothing. When I told him the chip was right next to such sensitive tissue, he wasn't very happy and it did give him a bit of trouble, but he was able to remove it in little less than five minutes without doing much damage.

"Here, Park. Flush this down the toilet so its signal moves."

I nodded, grabbing the tiny microchip and running it to the bathroom before returning a moment later without it.

"Done."

Oliver grunted in acknowledgment as he sewed up the skin just above Callem's left torso gills.

"I'm calling you Mellac since I'm sure Park has probably named you something stupid like the reverse of the name he chose for your brother."

Mellac glared at me, but I couldn't help blushing from embarrassment.

"Um... guilty? I-It's just easy, even if you guys don't use names. It makes it easier for us to get your separate attention."

He didn't seem too happy about it but ended up standing and stretching.

Guess he is going to deal with it.

"I'm going outside. My brother just needs to rest now, correct?"

Oliver stood, brushing off his knees as he nodded.

"Yes. He needs to stay out of the water for at least three or four days so the skin above his gills can heal. The stitches I put in will disappear on their own soon so just let the small injury heal itself."

Wait, does that mean he has to stay HERE for three or four days?

"That is fine. We will stay here. Leave him be until he awakens."

Oliver and I nodded, though I had a feeling he wasn't staying. That thought just solidified when he slapped some bandages and antiseptic into my hand and flipped me off before heading for the door.

"If you find another mer, I swear to god I'll shoot you with a tranquilizer."

The door slammed shut, cutting off any reply I was going to have. Which was basically none. Hell, if I brought home another merman, I would shoot myself with the stuff.

"Nnnn... man... my head... hurts like a..."

"Female dog. Welcome back, Jay."

I walked over to him as he pushed himself up against the sofa, eyes open but definitely still blurry, judging from their dilation from the drug.

"They must have given you a good dose. You were out for a while."

~~~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

"Hmm?"

My head turned toward the pool area where Mellac sat, leaning up against the hot tub we hadn't used in a good while. He seemed relaxed with one leg bent up, his left arm draped over it as he looked out into the darkness beyond the pool screen.

~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

"He's singing his song."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~

Jayson didn't respond so I spoke again as I got myself seated.

"He sings differently than Callem. It almost sounds... lonely?"

That's a bit odd, considering his brother's seems much more. Huh. I don't know. It just feels different.

"Hey, Jay?"

~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When he didn't answer again, I looked over at him, only to see him pushing himself to his feet and taking a step toward the slightly open sliding glass door leading out to the pool area.

~Jayson

That's a nice song...

"Jay?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

I wanna be closer.

~~~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Jayson! Stop!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My body was being shaken, but I just ignored it as I stepped out onto the cement lanai and made my way toward the solemn song.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

Why do you sound so lonely?

"Dammit, Jay, snap out of it."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I felt my knees drop to the hard concrete but ignored the slight pang of pain it caused to run up my sore legs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I want to make that sadness go away. Maybe I could.

Feeling a strong need to act, I felt my body leaning forward, then my tongue darted out to press against warm skin.

Salty...

Normally I wasn't a fan of salty foods, but I couldn't help myself as I kept licking at it. Well, that was until I was grabbed by the throat and slammed into the concrete by a furious looking merman, once... then twice... then again and again and again.

"M-Mellac, stop. I-It was your song. Stop. He didn't mean to lick your face. Oh god. Jay!"

# 14. Their Freedom

There was only one thing I could think of doing to stop him, even though it was probably the dumbest thing I had ever done in my life, second to bringing two mermen into my home. I grabbed Mellac's left arm, the one he was using to hurt Jay, and pulled as hard as I could. At first, he didn't even seem to notice me, but then I was suddenly the one grabbed by the throat.

"M-Mellac?"

He easily lifted my body into the air as he got up, fingers tightening around my windpipe with little effort.

"You are just as bad as him, trying to trick my brother into mating you just to save your pathetic life."

My fingers scrambled against his, but it felt like they were glued to my skin. I began gasping for air after seconds, having not gotten in a breath before being grabbed.

"C... Call... em..."

"Shut up. You are just a worthless human. Don't you dare call for my brother."

Believe me, I don't want to ask one murderous mer to save me from another, either, but I'm kind of out of options here.

I felt my mind beginning to get fuzzy as my oxygen supply dwindled. Nothing seemed to be working, not even the few kicks I'd managed to land on his bare legs. It honestly just felt like kicking a rock. Mellac also ended up tightening his grip, blurring my vision to the point of near darkness... until I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and something rub against the back of my damp shirt.

"Brother, go back inside," Mellac growled in warning.

Callem barked behind me and tightened his hold. I think he was shaking his head, too, because I felt something brushing back and forth against my back.

"He isn't your mate. He's just a useless human. He can never go back to the ocean with you, and he only let you claim him so he wouldn't die."

"Arf!"

Mellac sighed out a growl and refocused his attention on me.

"He will be fine once you and your human friend are dead."

I felt Callem's arms tighten further and would have winced if I wasn't feeling more pain from my lack of oxygen.

"Goodbye, human."

"
P-Parker Callem's
!"

I was released immediately and fell back into Callem's arms as he sat down, tugging me into his lap. There was absolutely no strength left in me to move so I let him hold me without complaint, honestly just thankful that I could get in big gulps of air now. Callem felt tense beneath me and was obviously paying attention to his brother, because of the angle at which he stared. I couldn't make my head move at all, but I did close my eyes and focus on listening as Mellac began to speak.

"After all of these years, you speak for this... this, human?"

Callem hugged me tighter against his chest and glanced away toward the pool. I knew animal behavior enough to know that he was submitting to his brother, perhaps just so Mellac wouldn't get more upset?

"Callem... why?"

While I was definitely curious about the same thing, I really needed to get Jay's head to stop bleeding. My body felt like jelly, but thankfully it did as told after another minute of deep breathing and moved slowly out of Callem's arms. I was surprised the mer let me go, but he seemed a bit more focused on his brother to mind me going a few feet away.

"I-I... Parker to Callem," he stuttered as I felt Mellac's attention shift to me, but I was too busy pulling off my shirt so I could wrap it around Jay's bleeding head to really pay him any mind right then.

"You still don't really understand what you're saying, do you?"

Callem whined like a puppy, but Mellac didn't seem interested in giving his brother an out. He had spoken up when he was not supposed to be able to. That left him open to his brother's anger and confusion.

"Callem, up."

I turned to watch the younger mer get to his feet, but I also saw something else inside just beyond the open door. The relief that flooded through my system when I heard Oliver's dart gun go off was incredible. The dart hit home in Mellac's previously injured shoulder, then a second one quickly buried itself in his left thigh. Callem was quick to react, but Oliver had been ready with a smaller dart gun... and a bigger dart. It hit in the mer's upper right shoulder. Callem managed to get inside and chase Oliver for a minute, but there was no way he would be catching him since he had just learned how to walk recently. In fact, he dropped after only two minutes, then was out cold after a few more.

Oliver came out to us after he was sure both mermen were completely unconscious. I couldn't help but smile at him and was about to thank him profusely when he said the one thing that would make me mad.

"I called the facility. They should be here any second now."

My attention moved over to Mellac's unconscious body only a foot or so away, then inside to Callem's.

They would definitely put them in a higher security area this time. They may not even get a pool!

"Oliver! How could you?"

He knelt down beside Jayson, checking that he was still breathing before carefully getting him into his arms. I could hear sirens getting closer and figured it was safe to assume that he had called 911 as well.

"I heard you scream when pulling into my driveway and did what I had to in order to save my friends."

I wanted to yell at him, but my throat was extremely sore and he was already walking toward the front of the house with Jay as I saw the flashing lights pulling up through the open door. If he wasn't helping Jayson, I would have called our friendship over right then and there, but the fact of the matter was that he had likely just saved our lives. Several of my colleagues rushed in to retrieve the mers as EMTs got me up and onto a gurney. I really didn't think I needed to go to the hospital, but as soon as my head was pushed down onto the pillow, I passed out.

They wanted me to stay in the hospital for observation, but I walked out after checking on Jayson and signing three forms.

Thank god my job provides medical insurance.

I walked the five blocks home and noticed Jay's SUV was back in the driveway. Oliver must have grabbed a spare key from the counter and gone to get it, figuring it would be at the beach. I dug through the fridge and stole one of Jay's energy drinks, then got in my truck and headed down to the research center. When I arrived, I noticed that there were barely any people in the main hallways besides the guards

Hmph, bet I know exactly where they are.

Grumbling random curse words under my breath, I quickly grabbed my lab coat and ID badge from my locker, then made my way through the three security doors. There were a couple of scientists swimming in the large tank, but I ignored them and checked in the back where the four observation pools were. I could see before I even got there by looking through the windows that nobody was inside.

"Darn it all. Isolation then."

I turned to the right and walked swiftly down the hallway leading from the main tank room. Taking a left at the end of that hallway, I pushed through a set of double doors with warning signs on them reading: Caution: Dangerous Animals In Vicinity.

I'll show them a dangerous 'animal'.

Stepping into the brightly lit room, I walked over to the first isolation door and peered in through the small window.

Not them.

Going to the next one, I did the same, but saw the same result. It was three doors later when I finally came across Callem and Mellac's cell. It was technically a room, but screw that. It looked more like a jail cell, especially for a damned aquatic creature. There was obviously no toilet, not that they knew how to use one, but there wasn't much of anything else to be honest. There was a small lift door that, if opened, would lead out to a small ten by ten pool, but they didn't even have access to that! Furious, I whirled around and started going off on one of the senior biologists, who was above me by just one level of management.

"What the hell are they doing cooped up in that tiny room? There's no food or water, and they are huddled in the damn corner, terrified."

The older blond-haired man looked at me with nonchalance as he fiddled with some test tubes that I noticed were labeled M1 and M2.

Of-freaking-course they already took samples, the bastards.

"They need to go back to the wild."

"We have video footage from the other facility's research vessel showing the incident that happened yesterday. The larger male attacked them, drowning the entire crew. So we have decided that they are too dangerous to return to the wild."

"
What
?"

"Do not shout at me, Dr. Ryans. Both mers are under my personal care, and I have made the decision that they will remain in there until we decide where they can safely be moved to. They will stay in captivity, but do not worry, many high-level facilities are already putting in bids to take them, and they have very nice habitats and the trained personnel to handle them."

"Y-You're talking about putting them on freaking display? They just want to go back to the ocean. The smaller brother was injured, and his older one came to help. Why can you not just take them out to one of the uninhabited islands off the coast where we release our dangerous animals and let them go there?"

"I cannot do that."

God dammit. His easygoing attitude is seriously pissing me off. But, if I let it get to me too much I can get fired or at least removed from this area and I can't risk that.

Turning back to the mer's room, I slammed the button on the side of the wall and watched as the lift-door rose, allowing them access to the small pool in the other area. It wasn't much, but as soon as Callem peeked in and saw the water, he scrambled inside, quickly being followed by his older brother. I expected them to shift and at least stretch out their tails, but neither did. Instead, they just dipped beneath the water and rested at the bottom of the six foot deep pool.

"It isn't big enough."

"That's all they are getting for now until we can get them to a better facility that can handle their aggression."

I wanted to beat the heck out of him, but instead I took a deep breath and turned toward the guy.

"Who has the highest bid so far?"

"A privately owned marine park a little ways up the coast."

"Name?"

"Poseidon Water Park."

I bristled immediately.

"That place isn't even accredited. They have animal deaths yearly, and they only have one vet on staff."

"That is not my problem. They have the best facility and the highest bid to take them."

"They are going together?"

"Yes."

At least that was good. The only thing that is, though.

"When will the bidding end?"

"In about five minutes."

"F-Five?"

He stared at me for a moment because of my shouting but went back to the experiment he was running with a nod.

"Yes. We cannot keep them here. They could easily break the isolation door if they tried together so we need them out of the building as soon as possible."

I swallowed and looked back toward the pool. Callem was halfway out, his eyes wide and upset as he stared at me through the small glass window in the door.

"Parker!"

Please don't call for me, Callem... I can't help you anymore.

"Parker!"

My heart hurt as I turned away, giving him my back. This wasn't how it should have been. He should have left when I let him go... but he stayed for me. He could have swam away, I knew he could have.

Now his brother is in the same situation and will be heading to one of the worst water parks in the country.

"Are... you shipping them out tonight?"

"Yes. They will be put into the travel crate anytime now."

I could hear the beeping of one of our heavy transport trucks backing up, no doubt lining up to the tunnel behind the movable wall by the pool. They were likely just planning to spook the mers in there... and if that didn't work, they would just dart them.

"I want to go."

"Not a chance."

"I'm the one who found Callem and saved him. If I hadn't, we never would have found Mellac or had either of them. They are likely bringing in millions for this place, so don't tell me that I can't at least go with them."

He took a frustrated breath and straightened up, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Fine. You can go, but there are going to be several armed guards going along with them to be sure they don't cause trouble. You ride in the truck on the way there, then come back in the truck. If I find out that you stayed there and bothered anyone or tried to set them free, I will be reporting you to headquarters."

"Yeah, I got it."

He didn't look like he trusted me, which was smart, but ended up just shrugging and pointed behind him toward the exit door.

"Go help them get the mers loaded. I bet the younger one will follow you, and his brother seems overly protective, so go see if they will walk so we won't have to tranquilize either of them."

Pursing my lips, I did as told, ducking out of the facility and into the drizzling, muggy afternoon. It was getting pretty close to evening, actually.

Guess this will be an overnight delivery.

I noticed a few guys working with the fasteners, being sure the exit tunnel was secure to the truck so the mers couldn't slip out. When they were done, I walked over and introduced myself.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Ryans. I know the younger mer so he may follow my voice so we won't have to dart them."

They looked unimpressed to say the least, but I just opened the small window in the far end of the tunnel and called for Callem. Immediately, I could hear him getting out of the water and smiled. He might be dangerous, but the mer was honestly a sweetheart. He just didn't understand enough to be safe around people.

"Callem! Come here, hun."

I saw him a moment later, looking around before he saw me through the tiny window. He smiled a little and began heading toward me without a second thought. It hurt to do this to him, but it was better than drugging them both again.

"Good boy. Come here."

He did as told, walking the long tunnel, though it was obvious he was a bit uncomfortable with being closed into the hot space. When he was getting close, I glanced back into the small room he had come from to see Mellac glaring at me.

"Mellac, come on. If you don't walk, they will drug you and Callem again. Please, come here for your brother's sake."

His eyes narrowed, but he slowly began walking as I returned half of my attention to his younger brother. As soon as Mellac moved past the first part of the tunnel, the workers pushed a large steel wall in place to keep him from being able to go back. He didn't even bother looking behind himself as it slid into place. Two more doors were pushed in before he reached his brother and I. There were bars between the window I was talking through so neither mer could do much if they tried to grab me, making them both not even bother.

"You guys need to go into the truck."

"They are taking us somewhere," Mellac stated, making me sigh and nod slowly.

"Yeah... I tried to get them to let you both go, even somewhere far away from here, but they wouldn't do it. You're going to a water park."

I kept out the part about it being a pretty crappy place, not like the mers even knew what a water park was. It had been a long time since I had been there, and I could only pray that they had fixed the place up by now.

"Please. I don't want them hurting you or Callem."

He licked his dry lips and grabbed his brother's hand, tugging him into the steel-lined transport truck. When they were completely inside, Mellac turned toward me, holding his little brother back from trying to get closer to the little window where I was.

"Don't come near us again. I don't want my brother attached to a human. I will take care of him like I always have so just stay away."

The crew was already beginning to push the crate's back wall across to latch it so I quickly shouted over the screeching sound it was making.

"But I can help."

I saw Mellac bare his teeth at me before he hissed a response angrily.

"If I see you again, human, I will not hesitate to kill you."

I tried to reply, but the door cut us off and was quickly locked in place by several strong latches and bolts. The group of men then pushed the transport tunnel away and pulled down the back part of the truck just beyond the crate they had locked up. It was a very intricate truck, and I used to be so excited when I saw it because that meant we were getting in something new and amazing, but as I numbly climbed into the passenger's seat in the front, I could only feel dread for what I was doing.

This is all my fault...I ruined their lives.

The driver slid in beside me, but I just stared out the window as he started up the truck and got us out of the back lot and onto the road.

# 15. Situations and Stipulations

The drive to the facility was eerily quiet, considering the amount of people in the truck. Granted the guards were in the back where the crate was securely fastened and had likely been ordered not to speak, but even in the front, there was complete silence. We stopped for a bathroom break once at a rest stop, and about two hours later, we arrived. The six hour trip had me fidgety to get out and check on Callem and Mellac.

The second the truck pulled into the loading dock for the exhibit, I jumped down and ran to the back. They were already getting a makeshift tunnel set up so the mers could walk in by themselves. There was no window in the truck, but there was a small one in the tunnel they were pulling out. I quickly ran over to it and looked in, but the mers hadn't moved yet so I couldn't see them.

"Excuse me? Are you Doctor Parker Ryans?"

I whirled around to see a redhaired business-like woman walking toward me with two of her own security guards.

"Uhm, yeah. That's me."

The woman smiled and reached out a hand. I took it on instinct, wincing slightly when she tightened her grip on mine.

"Nice to meet you, I'm the curator here, Mrs. Smith. Doctor Warren said you were coming and may be able to help move the two mers without us needing to sedate them."

I nodded, licking my lips before chancing a look back at the window.

Still haven't moved...

"Alright then, what do you need us to do?"

Let them go.

"Um... is there a way to open one of the small windows in the tunnel?"

She raised a brow and shook her head.

"No, they are all sealed with bullet-proof glass and do not open."

"Oh... uh, then I may need to go in with them."

"That is not possible. They are extremely dangerous."

I fought to keep my face from showing any anger or annoyance, the only two emotions I was honestly feeling right then, and instead schooled it to seem almost patient.

"They will not hurt me, but if you drug them, it could cause adverse effects."

She seemed to consider my words but shook her head anyways.

"I cannot risk another life just to get them to move without being tranquilized."

The woman motioned her guards forward, which I now realized had tranquilizer guns strung over their broad shoulders.

"Wait. They'll come for me. Uhm, let me call them from the other end of the tunnel. Th-There's a safe place close enough for me to shout so they can hear me, right?"

She thought for a moment, then looked up at her guards.

"Hold on, Marco, Jacob. We're going to let him try first. I'd rather not dart them if possible."

Both guards turned, eyeing me suspiciously. I glared back, but when Mrs. Smith began walking toward the enclosure they had prepared for the mers, I quickly followed. To say that I was surprised by what I saw was an understatement. The exhibit was actually quite nice, if small. The area was clean and well-maintained, and as I looked around at nearby ones, they all actually looked pretty good.

I suppose it's better than what I expected, but this still isn't a place for a mer to live.

"You can call them from right here."

Looking sideways, I noticed Mrs. Smith standing by the bars that lined the back area we had just walked into. They separated the small concrete room into two different spaces, one for the keeper to work and another for a shifting area where the mers will stay when the keepers need to clean the main exhibit. It looked like it was built how an elephant's back area would be, but I suppose it would work as long as no one got close enough to the bars to get grabbed. I walked over to stand beside her, then glanced into the dark tunnel.

"Are they ready?"

She held up a finger and turned up her walky-talky, then pressed the talk button.

"Are they ready to come inside?"

There was static for a moment before a slightly distorted voice came over the speaker.

"Yes. Everything's ready."

She nodded to me and smiled. I returned it, but it was definitely forced.

"Alright... Callem!"

I began to reach forward so I could wrap my fingers around the thick steel bars, but Mrs. Smith quickly nudged me back. I knew she only wanted to protect me, but at this point, I really didn't care. It was just making me angrier.

"Mellac, you need to come here."

There were quiet sounds coming from the tunnel after a moment. It didn't take long for Mellac to appear, his brother only a few steps behind him, holding his left hand. The second they noticed Mrs. Smith next to me, Callem nudged closer to Mellac and growled.

"Thank you, gu—" Mellac's claws came out of nowhere, nearly catching me right across the face as I jumped back to dodge the attack. His snarl echoed throughout the enclosed room, reminding me of what he had said before they closed him and his brother up in the crate for transport.

He wants to kill me.

"Mellac."

"
Shut up, human
!"

Shit. His gills were flaring, even the smaller ones on his neck.

"Come here, human. 
Come here
!"

Okay, Mellac might be the one who could communicate better and acted more like a human, but right then, he was halfway up the bars, easily holding his weight using his uninjured arm with both feet tilted on one of the bars for balance. He looked so much like an angry ape. If I hadn't known that he understood English, I might have been swayed that he was feral.

"This is Smith, is the exhibit ready? They are getting pretty aggressive back here."

The walky-talky beeped, then a response came.

"Yes, ma'am. The last keeper just walked out, and the doors are all secured. You can let them out."

She nodded and walked over to a lever system that operated the shift door that allowed them out into the main exhibit. I wasn't too sure how they were going to clean the outside area once Mellac figured out how to lift the door, because I'm sure it's sixty pounds would be nothing for him, but I supposed they could deal with that when the time came. The second that door lifted, though, both mers bolted out. They had to duck a bit, but as soon as they saw the large pool, they dove in and shifted, drawing quite a lot of excitement from the crowd watching in the observatory area.

The exhibit was split and partially dropped below ground so people could actually watch them swimming, and from the sound of the screams coming from the observation area, they were definitely enjoying seeing the mers. I was just about to go watch them for a moment when I saw Mellac suddenly jump out of the water looking extremely distressed as he swatted at his ears. Callem was close behind him, showing the same behavior, and whining like a seal pup.

"I think the people are too loud..." I said, turning to Mrs. Smith as I spoke.

"Surely not, they should be used to boat motors coming and going and they can be fairly loud themselves, so people cheering shouldn't be an issue."

Hmmm.

"Mellac!"

He looked up and glared, but I just ignored that and shouted again.

"Is it too loud underwater?"

I could tell that he wasn't happy about even acknowledging me, but when he looked down at his little brother rolling around in the sand in pain, he looked back up and nodded. I turned to Mrs. Smith quickly and spoke.

"See, they need that area quiet, or they won't be able to get in the water. The human voices are probably a different frequency than what they are used to hearing underwater and are possibly amplified from the echo in the observation area."

She didn't seem happy about it, but thankfully she did turn and stalk away from the keeper area. I followed after her down into the viewing area where people were still squealing with excitement over the new additions.

"Excuse me, everyone, they have extremely sensitive hearing while underwater so please be sure to remain quiet if you'd like to see them swimming."

I was honestly surprised she didn't already have a sign that told guests to be quiet and not use flash photography, which is just normal protocol for new animals, but I suppose it wasn't my call to make. At least the patrons quieted down, and after a few minutes, Callem and Mellac returned to the water. Neither seemed very interested in showing off for the guests, though, as they just calmly sank to the bottom of the pool.

"Well, I guess I should go now... don't want to miss my ride."

I definitely didn't want to leave but if I stayed, I might do something stupid, and I had to catch my ride back with the truck or risk losing my dumb job.

"Alright. Thank you for helping with them. I appreciate it."

I just nodded and headed for the door.

"Wait. What did you call them again? So I don't confuse them."

Hunching my shoulders, I forced myself not to mumble.

"Callem is the one with black hair, he doesn't understand very much so he needs to stay with his brother or he panics. His brother I call Mellac. He understands English but is much more aggressive than Callem. They both have injuries but seem to be healing, Callem on his foot and shoulder and Mellac on his arm."

"Alright, thank you, Doctor Ryans."

I gave a slight wave in acknowledgement and then quickly ran out the door. The truck was just moving away from the loading area so it could head out as I pushed my way through the back gate. The driver noticed me waving as I ran and slowed, allowing me just enough time to jump in the front before driving off. Leaving Callem had been something I knew I would have to do from the moment I saw him, but to leave him at such a place... He belonged in the ocean with his brother, not some marine park. Shaking my head, I bit my lower lip and stared out of the passenger's side window. Thinking about this any further was just going to make me upset and irrational.

I need to put it behind me.

And that's what I did.

Four days later, they let Jay come home from the hospital, and I devoted every second I wasn't working to making sure he was taken good care of. His skull had miraculously managed to avoid being cracked, but they said to just make sure he stayed in bed as much as possible and, of course, didn't bump his head on anything.

"I picked up some dinner for you."

He smiled but didn't open his eyes. I thought he might lose weight after what he'd gone through, but the guy was as serious an eater as ever.

"Taco Bell?"

"The one and only."

His eyes slowly opened before he reached out, taking the bag I quickly extended to him. I had made sure he was propped up on his pillows well enough to eat without choking but also be comfortable enough to sleep. It wasn't easy. As he dug into his first taco, I knew something was on his mind, and hell, something was on my mind too so I supposed I'd go first while his mouth was full.

"Why do you have ropes in your bedroom?"

He didn't even bother looking surprised at the question and instead swallowed a bite of taco and replied with nonchalance.

"I like it rough."

I, on the other hand, coughed as my mind came up with another certain person who liked it rough... in the lab... against the wall...

Ah!

Shaking my head quickly, I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed.

"You're thinking about him again."

Jayson could always read me pretty well so I simply shrugged, looking down at my shoes before sitting myself down to lean against his bed.

"You did the right thing."

I felt his fingers gently begin to sift through my hair, allowing me a tiny bit of relief from all the stress I'd kept bottled up ever since I left Callem and Mellac at that stupid marine park.

"While I would have been much happier with him at Sea World, at least they cleaned up a lot," Jay said soothingly as I rested my forehead on my knees and gave him a quiet grunt in response before whispering back.

"I know. It's just..."

"You wanted him to go back to the ocean with his brother."

"Yeah."

"Well, maybe he stayed close to shore because he couldn't hunt anymore? He does still have some problems with his tail, even though it healed quite a bit before they took him. It's unfortunate for his brother, but I think them taking Callem may have saved his life."

He stayed for me. His tail was okay. Not perfect, it may never be perfect, but he can definitely hunt with it now.

"I... guess so."

"Hey, Park."

I looked up when he didn't elaborate, but he had been waiting for just that. His soft lips pressed against mine for a quiet moment before he leaned back against his pillows and winked.

"I may be ready to shove my dick up your butt now." He made a face and shivered. "Uh... maybe in a week... or three."

Okay, that made me laugh out loud. He pouted but then grinned. Haha! The guy might not be gay, but he sure as heck knew how to cheer me up.

"I'll be waiting."

I winked back with a smile before pushing myself to my feet and tossing the taco I had gotten for myself at him. He caught it but then offered it back with a stern look.

"You need to eat, Parker. You've barely eaten anything since you came back a few days ago."

"Y-Yes, I have."

"You stutter when you're lying or nervous."

"I'm not nervous."

"So I'm that hot?"

Scowling, I flicked his nose and walked off, ignoring the chuckles coming from his room as I shut the door behind me. I wasn't really that hungry, even though he was correct that I hadn't eaten much, but a nice glass of cold water sounded like heaven so I headed for the kitchen. Except, my phone's ringtone made me pause midreach for a glass.

Don't wanna answer it.

It was probably my work, though, which I had to answer.

"Bah."

Grabbing the phone from my back pocket, I flipped it open, then raised it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Is this Doctor Ryans?"

Huh? Sounds like Mrs. Smith... but how did she get my number? Well, probably from my lab or Doctor Warren.

"Yes."

"The smaller mer hasn't eaten anything since he arrived and is starting to go downhill in terms of health."

"What?"

"He's followed his brother around since he came, but he refuses to eat, even when the other male tried to offer him food, and now he won't come out of the back area."

I wanted to scream at her, asking why she hadn't called me before it had gotten this bad, but I already knew the answer to that. I wasn't authorized to deal with them any longer.

"I don't have authorization."

"I'm giving it to you. I already spoke with Doctor Warren. He gave the okay for you to come up here if it is in the best interest of the mers, and I believe it is. So, can you please come soon?"

My gaze darted back toward Jay's room.

"My friend..."

"We'll pay for his care. Doctor Warren said you may not come because of the injury he sustained from the larger mer. I will gladly pay for someone to watch over him for the time you are here."

"Mmm, man, that lady talks loud," Jay mumbled sleepily. Blinking, I realized he was walking toward me and blushed.

"Uh, hey, Jay."

"I'm not staying here if you're going up there."

"You can't come."

"Like I'll listen to you."

Rolling my eyes, I turned my back on him and continued speaking into my phone, though I fidgeted a bit when Jayson's arms gently wrapped around my waist and pulled me against his firm chest.

"He'll come with me."

"Oh, okay. Well, are you okay with heading out today? I'll pay for your hotel."

"Yeah, that's fine. We'll head out soon."

"Perfect. Thank you very much, Doctor Ryans. I will see you soon."

"Yup, bye."

"Bye."

As soon as I hung up, I turned in Jay's arms and gave him a slightly disapproving smirk.

"Time to pack for a road trip."

"I would say I'm mad that you're going back to them, but after being stuck in a bed for the past few days and my obvious like for marine life, I couldn't really force you to stay, especially if Callem is doing as badly as she said."

My lips curved into a smile, and I gave him a small hug before ducking out of his arms and heading to my room to pack. It didn't take too long since I hardly ever put away my clothes. When I tugged my full suitcase out of my room, Jayson was doing the exact same thing across the hall.

"Ready to go, Doctor Ryans?"

I rolled my eyes and nudged his shoulder with my own as I grabbed my keys and we headed outside. The drive was long, but thankfully Jayson found a few good radio stations and made me sing along with half of the songs so I didn't have much time to focus on what was happening with Callem. We ended up driving straight to the hotel, and I gave Mrs. Smith a call as we pulled in, giving her the hotel name and after we checked in, the number of the room. She said she'd take care of the bill and asked if I could come over right then because they would be feeding them soon. We were up in the hotel room by then, and I looked over at Jay, who had fallen over on the bed and was beginning to pass out already.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Mmmm, yeah. I just took two painkillers, I'm feeling greaaaat."

Hah, someone's gonna be out cold soon.

"Mind if I run over and see if I can get Callem to eat? She said she'll be trying to feed them soon."

"I would say that I do, but you'll just do it anyways, and then I would say be careful, but knowing you..."

I chuckled at that but couldn't argue.

"I'll do my best to come back alive."

"Please do."

After being sure he would be okay, I slipped out the door and headed down to my truck, then over to the park. I left it in the back personnel lot since it was closest to where the mers' exhibit was. There were a few keepers looking in from one of the outside barriers, but as soon as I approached, Mrs. Smith appeared and motioned me over to the keeper area.

"He's in here. His brother is still in the main exhibit so we shut the shift door."

"You separated them?"

"Yes, he wasn't moving much this morning and wouldn't leave the back area so we didn't want to have to dart both of them if we ended up needing to call in our vet."

Well, good to know they actually have their vet on call at least. Though why the hell isn't he here now?

We stepped into the back area, and I could immediately tell something was wrong. Callem was extremely dehydrated, considering his skin looked like flaky scales in several spots along his bare body. He was also curled up, facing the wall, giving his back to things he considered dangerous. He definitely wasn't feeling well.

"Callem?"

He moved a small amount when I spoke but then settled again.

Hmmm.

Kneeling down by the bars, I motioned behind me for a fish, which was quickly placed in my hand.

"Callem, can you come here please?"

He whined, but at least that meant he was paying attention to me.

"Callem, I have a fish for you."

I reached into the enclosure slowly, holding it out.

"Come?"

He slowly rolled over, letting me see a big patch of rising scales on his previously-smooth chest.

"He needs water, is there a hose back here?"

"Yes, one moment."

I heard her shuffling around behind me, then the sound of water running.

"Put it near the bars so it can flow toward him."

She did as told, and I sighed with slight relief when it began to run into the enclosure and at least wet Callem's side and legs.

"Callem, come please."

He looked up, and I immediately noticed his eyes were a solid dull blue, something I'd never seen with him. They were almost always more than one shade and color and were usually swirling like the ocean. Now they just looked... dead.

"I need to go in."

"I can't allow that."

Growling, I got up and turned on her with a glare.

"You want him dead? He'll die if I don't go in there."

"You will die if you go in there, he's dangerous."

"I don't care. He's important. Do you want to be responsible for killing one of the two mers left in the world?"

She flinched, pursing her lips as her gaze lowered to Callem, then rose back to me.

"Fine. But if he begins to get aggressive, you get out. Do you hear me, Doctor? And if he stops you from be able to, I'll be forced to shoot him."

"Yeah yeah, just open the door."

She walked over to the entrance and unlocked it, opening the door for me to step inside before shutting it quickly.

"I'll leave it unlocked unless he makes a move for it."

"Okay."

My attention was completely focused on Callem since I was now in his territory. Well, I don't think he considered this any kind of territory to be honest. He looked so broken lying on the cold concrete floor as I approached.

"Hey there, Callem."

I knelt next to him, finally getting a small positive response when he pushed himself up to lick my cheek.

"There you are. You worried me."

He leaned in a little more and licked my neck a few times before I sat down, getting more comfortable by crossing my legs... and then suddenly there was a Callem snuggling in my lap.

"Awww, c'mere, you."

I wrapped my arms around him as he nuzzled into my neck with a stressed purr. One might think he was happy, but I knew from the tenseness in his body that he was afraid.

"It's okay. I'm right here, Callem."

I tilted my head a bit so I could lick his cheek a few times, then picked up the fish that I had dropped from surprise when he'd climbed into my lap so suddenly.

"Hey, Cal, want some fish?"

He gave a quiet bark but just kept his face against my neck.

"No fish?"

It definitely wasn't super fresh, but it was a decent amount and looked clean. I silently sat there for a moment and tried to wrack my brain for some way to get him to eat. I doubted shoving pieces of fish in his mouth would work much, but then I remembered something.

"Callem?"

He glanced up but didn't lift his head from where it now rested on my right shoulder.

"Um... fish to Callem."

His eyes widened immediately, and he sat up in my lap, hands on either of my thighs.

"Parker?"

I held up the fish in my left hand, gesturing that he should take it.

"Parker... fish to Callem."

"Fish?"

His lips twitched slightly, making my own form a small smile as I nodded.

"Parker fish to Callem."

He looked at the silvery fish in my left hand and hesitantly took it, then lifted it to his lips. I nodded fast, eager to see him take a bite. When he finally did, I felt a heavy weight lift free from my shoulders.

Thank god he isn't so far gone that he won't eat.

He took a few big bites before setting the fish aside and rubbing his cheek against my own, smearing fish blood on it. Eh, I didn't care, though, I was just so happy that he'd eaten something.

"Parker Callem's."

I smiled and replied calmly as my left hand began to rub along his strong back.

"Yes, Parker Callem's."

I would say anything to get him healthy again, but for some reason, I felt that it meant a little more this time than it had previously.

"Parker Callem to go."

"Huh?"

"Parker... Callem to go. Callem go."

My brows furrowed as I tried to figure out what he wanted when I heard something that sounded like metal sliding along... 
oh. Shit.
 Mellac stepped beneath the shift door, which he easily lifted without any aid from the lever system that normally was used to raise the heavy steel sheet. When he straightened, I swallowed hard and shrunk against Callem.

"He wants you to take him away from here, but you won't be going anywhere, human."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mrs. Smith grabbing for a dart gun, but Mellac also noticed, and he didn't need to reach for his weapon. A deafening screech ricocheted off the solid walls of the small enclosed room, making pain pierce through my head a second before darkness overtook me.

# 16. Brothers

Mellac reached for the unconscious human held in his brother's arms, completely content to end his life. His fingers began to wrap around the male's neck even as his brother growled in disapproval. He could disapprove all he wished, but as soon as his little human infatuation was dead, he would be much better off.

"Nn-No."

"I'm doing it for you. You don't need a human of all things. All it does is make you weak."

His hand was swatted away by Callem, but Mellac just rolled his eyes and snagged the collar of Parker's shirt, yanking him right out of his brother's lap.

"Just a small snap here..."

He rewrapped his fingers around the human's neck and was just about to jerk his hand to the side and end the annoying man's life when Callem suddenly bit down on his arm.

"What are you doing?"

His little brother barked but quickly backed away, licking blood off of his lips from the injury he'd just inflicted. The look of disbelief on Callem's face was the mirror image of what was on Mellac's at that very second.

"You... attacked me."

Callem whined, looking down at his feet as he stood against the cold cement wall.

"Callem? Is this, this disgusting human worth more to you than I am?"

Mellac threw Parker into the closed shift door, making a loud banging noise echo in the room before stalking over to his shivering brother. Oh, he knew he was stressing Callem out, but his little brother just protected a damn HUMAN.

"Well, Callem? Answer me."

Another whimper made the older mer bare his teeth in warning.

"Do not make me repeat myself. You can obviously talk for that human rat, you shall talk to me."

~Jayson

"Mellac, back off."

It was a stupid move, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut as I ran into the keeper area. Was I a bad friend for lying about taking the pain meds so I could get a cab and follow Parker, knowing that something like this was bound to happen? Probably, but now wasn't the time to think about that. I stopped by the dividing door, realizing too late that it wasn't locked. Mellac had noticed too and slammed the door open as I tried to fumble with the lock, sending me stumbling backward seconds before I was shoved up against the back wall, my neck in his left hand, feet dangling uselessly several inches off the floor.

"M-Mellac."

"Shut up, human. You will die, then your friend will swiftly follow. You are holding back my brother from living his life the way a mer should."

I felt his hand begin to tighten and thrashed against the hard wall, but there wasn't much I could do in terms of attacking him when I was being held off of my feet to begin with.

"You are the... one... hold... ing him... back..."

He dropped me like I had burned him, hissing loudly in anger.

"What did you just say to me, human? How dare you. I have taken care of him since our parents and sister were murdered by sharks. He lost his ability to speak that night and refused to hunt, but even though family means little in our society, I took care of him anyway."

It took me a moment to respond since I was coughing while trying to get my voice to work again, but when I finally managed it, I growled my response as much as he did.

"So why does he speak for Parker and not for you?"

I had obviously struck a nerve because the mer actually flinched and glared over his shoulder at my unconscious friend, then back to me.

"He tricked him. He made Callem think he wanted to mate him."

"Because
 
he fucking does!"

Quiet overtook the room except for the repetitious soft sound of licking from Callem as he tried to bring Parker back around, though I'm pretty sure licking his face repeatedly wasn't the best way to do it. Oh well, might as well keep him busy with that since Parker still looked like he was breathing just fine. I returned my attention to Mellac, knowing that he was definitely the more deadly of the two right then.

"As I've just said, Parker wants to uh... mate him."

I couldn't help but make a face at that, drawing a sneer from Mellac which I just ignored.

"I've been trying my best to get his attention recently, but ever since Callem came into the picture, he's been chasing your brother like a damned puppy."

His head tilted, brows drawing together before he bared his teeth and hissed, "What is a puppy, and why is it following my brother?"

Oh come on! Of all the words he doesn't know.

"It's a stupid dog that falls in love with one person and gets too attached to them... so that when it's time for the person to finally leave them, they just don't want them to go."

He still looked confused, but hey, his fingers weren't around my neck and I wasn't getting my head bashed in. It was a good day. I watched as Mellac turned around slowly, eying his brother while he continued to lick Parker's face.

"Um... can I go check on my friend? He's been hurt by Callem so much recently that he may need some help this time."

His attention turned back to me when I spoke, but instead of letting me go to Parker, he reached down toward my neck again.

Not a chance.

I grabbed his hand with both of mine, pushing as hard as I could to try to keep him from getting ahold of me. It literally took all of my strength just to keep his hand a few inches from my face.

"Mellac, stop it."

Surprisingly, he did, but immediately afterward, he turned and stalked back toward the open door separating the keeper area from the enclosure.

Park.

I jumped to my feet and stumbled forward, unsteady but determined to save my friend. Of course that determination just led me to do something stupid, again. What that was? Well, it was wrapping my arms around an extremely deadly merman from behind.

Holy muscles, Batman...

A rumbling snarl made me tighten my hold, though I doubt he felt it with that insane eight-pack on his abs.

Possibly exaggerating, but damn.

"Let go, human."

"No."

"I could kill you, too."

Pressing my right cheek against his warm back, I sighed and loosened my arms slightly.

"Then why aren't you?"

Silence took over again as we stood there. I chanced a look over at Callem and noticed that he had switched to cradling my tired friend, who was now awake.

"Park."

Mellac took a sudden step toward them, easily dragging me, though I knew I wasn't 
that
 light.

"Don't. P
-
Please."

He stopped as Callem growled up at him. I'd never seen the brothers at odds, and Parker even looked shocked that Callem was standing up to his older brother for him.

"Parker Callem's. No brother."

"Brother..." Mellac whispered, seemingly lost in thought. Callem pursed his lips and nodded, hugging Parker tightly against his chest.

"Parker Callem's. Fish to Parker, Parker fish to Callem. No to brother!"

I would have loved to hear the rest of that odd little conversation, but the click of a dart slipping into a barrel made my head snap around.

"D-Don't shoot."

My body moved on its own accord as a woman, who I assumed to be the curator based on Parker's description of her, lifted the gun toward Mellac. I think I was on a stupid streak, but I couldn't help myself as I jumped up, hugging his body when he began turning to snarl at Mrs. Smith. I felt the dart slam into the left middle of my back and grunted from the impact. The drug was cold as it flowed into my body and slowly forced my arms to loosen from around him until I fell to the floor, unconscious.

~Parker

I wanted to scream at her for shooting my friend, but my energy level was still extremely low from being hit with Mellac's screech earlier. My whole body was numb and tingling as it tried to get back to normal with slight movements and deep breaths. Things seemed to be playing out in front of me as a cloudy scene that I wasn't allowed to participate in. Mellac was mad, but I wasn't sure if it was because she had shot Jayson with a dart meant for him, or... wait, what was I thinking? It was obviously because she was a human and alive. He was flaring his gills and remembered that meant that he was about to shriek again.

"D-Don't... please... he's already hurt... his head..."

Jay might have been able to come with me on this trip, but his head was still healing and I had no idea how an extremely loud screech would affect the damage Mellac had already done. He looked down at Jay on the floor, then back up at the curator. I thought he might ignore my plea to knock her out for an easy kill but then he quickly jumped over my friend and ran for Mrs. Smith. She was smart enough to not bother loading another dart in the small enclosed space and instead jumped out of the keeper area and slammed the door shut, sliding something heavy into place that stopped Mellac from being able to get the door open. He quickly figured out that we were stuck and turned again, walking back over to Jayson and kneeling next to him.

"..."

Please don't kill him.

Callem must have felt how tense I was because he hugged me a little tighter and began lapping at my hair gently. When Mellac didn't attack Jay, I chanced a look up at Callem and smiled when he licked my cheek and barked quietly.

"Hey there, Callem."

He hummed and rubbed his nose against mine, making me chuckle.

I swear he is just like a child sometimes, but in other ways, he is completely grown up.

Callem suddenly growled as he glared over my shoulder, making me look behind myself to see Mellac walking over with Jay in his arms. When he sat down a few feet away, I carefully squirmed my way free of Callem's arms and crawled over to check on Jayson. It looked like he'd banged his head again when he'd fallen, since his bandage had a small spot of blood forming on it, but at least it didn't seem to be spreading too quickly.

"He needs medical help, fast."

I tried to reach over and tighten his bandages a little, but Mellac's loud snarl made me jerk my hands away.

"M-Mellac? He needs help."

The older mer was sniffing a lot, nose lowering toward the bloodied bandages.

"Mellac? What are you—?" Another aggressive growl cut off my question, so I just sealed my lips and watched him carefully. At first, it was just sniffing, but then it turned into licking. Before a full minute had passed, his right hand was clawing away at the bandages so he could gain easier access to the injury.

My heart was beginning to pump like crazy in my chest as I watched Mellec get more and more into licking Jayson's injury. If he actually liked him, I might have thought he was being affectionate or perhaps even worried, but when his lips began to trail down toward his shoulder, I felt my blood begin to run cold.

"Don't, Mellac."

I wasn't fast enough to stop the initial bite. Mellac tore into Jayson's left arm right before I managed to grab the mer's hair and yank, hard. I stole his attention away from Jay, but now Mellac was on top of me, biting at my own arm. The pain was excruciating, but it ended almost as quickly as it had begun because Callem was there, suddenly tackling his brother into the steel bars. The fight quickly became a mix of flailing limbs and snarling. Blood coated the floor in seconds, freezing my body in place with fear as I watched. I thought they would honestly tear each other apart, but then the door to the keeper area slammed open and both of Mrs. Smith's guards from before ran in aiming dart guns at the fighting mers. It only took them seconds to zero-in and fire each gun. For once, I was shutting my mouth about their treatment of the brothers, too, knowing that if they weren't darted, they could injure each other further within moments.

The darts hit home in both mers, though Callem took the first shot, letting Mellac get in several extra bites before he was finally darted and dropped a minute after his brother. Mrs. Smith appeared once both mers were out cold, but I really didn't like the look of the rifle she held pointed toward them.

"What are you doing with that gun?"

She only glanced at me for a second before raising the weapon just enough to aim at Mellac.

"I saw what was going on through the observation cameras, and I've decided it is best to euthanize the more aggressive of the two."

# 17. Operation Ice Cream

"What?"

She raised her eyebrows at me, but I just glared and forced myself to get between the gun and Mellac. The guy might be insanely aggressive and dangerous, but that's what she signed up for when she bought the damn mer! Putting my arms out to either side, I straightened my back and glared.

"You aren't killing him. Sell him to somewhere else, you can easily make a good amount of your money back."

Sure, I knew he needed to stay with Callem for his younger brother to even have a chance at surviving, but if Mellac was killed, then I had no idea how I was going to save Callem. Mrs. Smith thankfully seemed to think about what I said... right before her phone rang. I watched her put the safety on the gun and roll her eyes before flicking the phone open and pressing it to her ear.

"Curator Smith, how can I help you?"

"Yes, I have both right now."

"Actually, yes. One is for sale."

"It is because he is extremely aggressive and I just don't have the equipment to deal with it."

"No, I will not be responsible for transport."

Okay, this is my chance.

"I-I can take him."

She eyed me warily.

"How?"

"You have a transport crate, right? Even an older one will be fine and fit in the back of my truck."

She slowly nodded.

"Well, he's knocked out right now so we can just load him up, then I'll take him straight to wherever he needs to go... Of course a bit of help with gas would be nice, though."

"Hmm... alright. I have a lock you can use and we have a spare large long crate that should fit in your truck."

I turned and went back to lift Jay, and with a lot of effort managed to get him into my arms while she continued speaking on the phone about getting payment details and what not. I mouthed that I was taking him out to my truck first, and she just nodded before turning her back on me and continuing her conversation.

Hmph!

It took a few minutes to get Jayson into my truck in the back lot, mainly because he seriously needed to stop working out twice a week. He might not be as ripped as Mellac, but the guy was a bag of muscles none the less. When he was finally lying down in the backseat, I went around and pulled away the snap-on fabric I kept over the truck bed to keep it from retaining water when it rained. It would suck for Mellac to be back there in this heat, but at least he would get out of this place. Not that I wanted to leave Callem, but getting one out right now was better than none.

By the time I came back to the keeper area, her two guards were carrying out the crate, Mellac already loaded up inside. It was kind of a dog crate build but specifically for aquatic mammals... basically, seals. That forced him to be lying down in the crate, which really did not give him much room to move and definitely not sit up, but he'd deal. He was asleep right then anyway. Mrs. Smith walked over to me as her men loaded Mellac up in the back of my truck, then fastened the black cover over it.

Thank god I had an air conditioner installed in there with a grant from the research facility since I am the main person bringing in larger specimens... or at least transporting them if we don't have a truck available.

"He's going to Cal-Waves. They are three hours north and will be expecting you."

I nodded, mentally cursing that stupid facility out.

"Got it. Take care of Callem and call me if he stops eating again."

She nodded and turned, stalking away with her two guards on her heels.

I'm so sorry, Callem, please wait for me.

While she walked away, I climbed into the cab of my truck and got the thing started, cranking the air conditioning as well as flipping the button to signal the one in the back to start up. I forced myself to drive the speed limit out of the facility, but as soon as I was a few streets away, I stopped in a Dairy Queen parking lot and jumped out after grabbing one of my spare outfits from the backseat. When one worked around or in water for a living, he or she tended to keep plenty of clean clothes to change into.

I heard Mellac growling in the back as I moved closer, so he was obviously coming around, if not already fully awake by then. That woman really wasn't smart to shoot them again after they had already been tranquilized the previous day. The drug only worked so well when repeatedly given. Unsnapping the cover, I pulled it back a tiny bit so I could see him... glaring at me.

"Oh, don't give me that look."

He hissed and flared the gills around his neck.

"Where is my brother?"

"He's back at the park."

"
What
?"

I lifted my finger to my lips and shushed him quickly before whisper-shouting back.

"Don't shout. If they find you, they'll take you back."

"Good."

"No. Not good. If you're locked up, you can't help me figure out how to get Callem out."

I knew he wasn't happy, but he did finally let his gills close and stopped growling.

"Here, you need to put these on. People don't just walk around in public naked."

I slipped the clothing through the crate's bars and pursed my lips as he slowly took them.

Man, if looks could kill, I'd have been dead a while ago.

Well, at least he knew how to get dressed and was ready in a few minutes. I fished the key from my back pocket and unlocked the crate once he was done and removed the padlock so he could climb out. My body was on high alert in case he tried to attack, but all he did was stare down at me.

"How do we get my brother back?"

"I'm not sure yet, but come on, it's seriously hot out here and I need something to stay awake."

He tilted his head but followed me around to the passenger's side, and when I opened the door, gesturing him inside, he actually did exactly as asked.

"Here, you need to put this across your chest."

I hopped up onto the step-bar, which was there to help short people—
Go ahead and laugh
—get inside, then reached for the seat belt. He wasn't a fan, but when was he ever a fan of anything? Exactly. When I snapped the belt in, he growled, but I just ignored it and hopped down, shutting the door before running over to my side and climbing in.

"Okay, we're just gonna stop here so I can get—"

"Why is the other human here?"

Rude much?

"He's here because he took a dart for you and is nowhere near as strong as you in terms of resistance to the drug."

Mellac actually looked surprised when he turned to me.

"He... took a dart?"

"Yes, as in, when you got shot the first time, he moved in front of it and stopped you from being put to sleep. Don't you remember?"

He rested back in his seat slowly and licked his lips in thought.

"I... do not remember exactly."

"Well, he did. You got shot with a dart a few minutes later anyways, but at least he tried."

Mellac nodded, though he didn't seem to have really been focusing on what I had been saying.

Oh well, at least he isn't attacking him.

I moved the car toward the drive-thru of the Baskin-Robbins and rolled down my window, glancing sideways at Mellac as we waited in line.

"Don't say anything when I talk to this guy, okay?"

His gaze was glued to his window so I figured that meant he wasn't interested in what I was going to do, good.

"What can I get you, sir?"

My attention turned back to the now-open serving window to the drive-thru.

"Uhm, can I just have a vanilla ice cream cone please?"

The guy smiled and nodded as I reached up to hand him my money. Not a moment later, I had my ice cream and change.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Have a good day, sir."

I nodded and rolled up my window as I pulled forward into a parking space to eat. It had been a seriously long time since I'd had an ice cream cone so I was definitely going to savor this one before we went back for Callem. I needed the sugar pretty badly anyway, so might as well enjoy it. I lapped at it hungrily as Mellac finally turned to look at what I was doing.

"Why are you licking mating fluid, human?"

"Pfft!"

Awwwww, damn it! I just spit ice cream all over my dashboard!

Pouting, I snapped my attention to Mellac while trying to lick off some of the ice cream dribbling down my chin.

"What the hell was that?"

His eyes were wide as he replied calmly.

"I... just wondered why you were licking mating fluid. Surely it does not taste very good. Are you unable to obtain real food?"

My eyebrow twitched as I held out the ice cream to him and he quickly shied away.

"It's milk from a cow."

"A... cow?"

"Yes, they go moo and squirt out white liquid we humans like to drink."

He looked quite disgusted as I nudged the thing closer.

"Do not touch me with that weird fluid."

"Oh come on, you'll like it, I bet."

A grunt from the back made us both forget about my taunting and look toward a slowly awakening Jay.

"Hey, man, welcome back."

He moaned and pushed an arm over his eyes, no doubt bothered by the afternoon sun. Mellac seemed busy staring so I smirked and sat back in my seat, swiping a finger into the ice cream before reaching over and shoving it into Mellac's mouth. On a smarter note, I realize now that shoving random 'mating fluid' into a very emotionally unstable merman's mouth wasn't the best idea, but the response was just priceless. Well, at first he snarled and lunged, but that beautiful seat belt kept me from getting hurt by him.

Always wear your seat belt, kids. Or strap in any merman who rides along with you.

When he realized he wasn't getting me, he began opening and closing his mouth and running his tongue along his lips like a dog would who had peanut butter stuck to the roof of its mouth. His actions slowed after a minute, a look on his face that I couldn't quite read. Well, that wasn't exactly true. It just had so many emotions mixed together that it was obvious he didn't understand what he wanted to say just yet. Leaving him to his thoughts, I turned back to Jay and grinned.

"So, ideas on breaking Callem out?"

He let one eye peek out from beneath his arm and grumbled, "Sleep."

"I wish. But no, we need a plan, and fast. Callem isn't going to recover in that stupid park."

"Yeah. Bah, my head hurts, and it feels like someone bit my arm."

About that... how do I tell him that Mellac got annoyed and hungry, thus wanting a snack?

"Oh yeah, we uh, have less than three hours before Mellac is expected at Cal-Wave."

"Oh, perfect. So three hours to get Callem out and disappear then."

"Uh, yeah, sounds about right."

Feeling something slip from my hand, I looked over to see Mellac nudging his nose into my ice cream cone. I thought he would just give it back when he felt the chill of it on his skin, but instead, he flared his gills and lunged... right at my poor treat. The attack splattered ice cream all over the seat and armrest, though most of it was now on his face and mouth.

"Heh."

Hearing Jay snicker made me grin, but I didn't dare laugh out loud at the mer in fear of my life ending. Mellac looked like he was trying to attack the ice cream on his face as he tilted his head back and bared his teeth, biting at the air.

That's not how you eat anything, Mellac.

"Here, watch."

I reached for the cone, but he quickly yanked it away and hissed.

"Geez. I was just gonna show you how to eat it. Look, use your tongue and lick it like I was, then you can eat the cone in your hand."

He began to lick awkwardly at the ice cream still left, nuzzling his nose against it several times while ignoring what was all over his face for now.

Okay, I'm done trying to teach him. He can do whatever he wants. Enjoy my mating fluid.

I turned my attention back to Jay, who was now sitting up and buckling himself into a seat belt.

"I honestly don't think we're going to be able to get in there again, especially if we don't show up with Mellac at Cal-Wave soon."

That's not what I wanted to hear.

"However, I think Mellac can."

Oh sure, send the homicidal merman into the lion's den. Hint, the lions will die.

"Um... I just barely managed to get him out of there with his life."

"Yeah, but if you put a hat on him, they won't think anything of him. He looks much more normal not butt-naked and snarling."

True.

"Okay. So we just need to tell him what to do. They probably aren't going to lock the keeper area since Callem isn't doing well. People will likely be going in and out," I replied, a slight dash of hope making its way into my voice.

"Yeah, okay. And that lock on the door was unlocked, too."

"Oh hey."

I reached into my pocket for the cage key and held it up.

"I think she gave me a master key for the padlocks. It has an 
M
 on it. So, wanna hope and pray that it is?"

Jayson smirked and nodded, grabbing the key before offering it to Mellac, who was rather busy crunching through the ice cream cone with content hums.

"Mellac. Have you been listening to us?" I questioned calmly.

He paused after finishing the last of the cone and licked his lips.

"Yes."

"Alright, good. We are going to drop you off at the front of the park. The place you were held is to the right, just keep walking the path until you come to it."

He nodded, much more attentive now that he wasn't inhaling my treat.

"Once there, hop over the rope when no one is looking and go to the back of the gray building. The door should be open, if not..."

I grabbed the key back from Jay and held it out to Mellac.

"You can use this. You put it in the lock and turn it to the right, then pull. It should open just like how I let you out of the cage in the back. If it doesn't work, I suppose just try to break in."

He nodded again while licking his right wrist and rubbing it along his ice cream-smudged face.

Cat much?

"Okay. Once you're inside, just use the key on the other lock, if it's on. If not, just open the cage by pushing the bars, hard. After that, it's all you in getting Callem out."

"Here."

Jayson tossed my beach bag from the back into Mellac's lap that held my other spare set of clothing.

"Ah, good idea. Get Callem dressed and calmly make your way back to the entrance where I dropped you off."

Mellac grabbed the bag and glanced inside, then back up at me.

"I understand."

Getting my truck back onto the road, I sped toward the park with my heart beating overtime with nerves.

"There are no more chances after this, Mellac. For your brother's sake, please be careful."

He grunted, remaining quiet otherwise until I pulled my truck into the very busy parking lot. Hopefully, they didn't have Callem on display right then, he was in no condition to be. Considering the amount of disappointed people I saw walking out of the main gates, I'd bet that he wasn't.

"Alright, it's all up to you now. Err, wait a second..."

He was just getting out when he paused and looked back at me.

"Here."

Grabbing a bottle of water, I kept on the floor, I quickly opened it after pulling my shirt off and soaked the fabric, then leaned forward, holding the shirt out to him.

"Clean off your face, it's all white from the ice cream."

He seemed annoyed but did as told, tossing my shirt on the floor when finished.

"Okay, and here, put these on."

His patience was definitely running thin, but I ignored the nasty glare he was now giving me while handing him my shoes and a spare hat I left on my dashboard.

"The shoes will feel weird, but they should be tight enough to not make you trip or anything."

Mellac put everything on, looking none-too-happy, but at least he looked like an angry tourist instead of an angry murderous merman.

"Okay. Good luck, Mellac. We'll be right here when you get back with your brother."

Jayson nodded behind me.

"Yeah, man, come back safe."

I saw Mellac eye Jay in confusion for a moment, but then he was slamming the truck door shut and stalking toward the water park.

"God help him."

"God help them if they try to stop him."

"Touché."

# 18. Escape

The walk inside wasn't the easiest. Mellac tripped several times and hissed once, scaring a tiny girl carrying a dolphin balloon and walking a few steps behind her parents. He quickly ducked inside the open gates, ignoring the ticket counter with his focus completely set on remembering the directions he had been told. His gaze roved over the loud humans ducking in and around him. Excited faces were most prominent on the ones moving toward the exhibit, but coming away from it, disappointment was clearly pronounced. Any of the humans that tried to look at him, likely because he was openly staring, got a death-glare in response, thankfully keeping attention off himself well enough to make his way through the park without issue.

Well, that was until he saw an ice cream stand a few yards away from where his brother was being held. He paused, neck gills flaring slightly in excitement, remembering the cold human treat. He began to walk toward the stand but quickly snapped himself out of it when he heard a tired bark coming from an open door a good ways off the public trail.

   Immediately Mellac hopped over the rope and onto the path, which led to the employee-only area, and followed it hastily. He could hear his brother barking almost nonstop now, something he usually only did when an animal had a hold of him or he was stuck in a coral patch or cave. It took him only seconds to make it to the gray building he'd previously been locked in. Right before walking inside, though, he noticed a large gun sitting against the side of the building, hidden behind a large tree so the public couldn't see it. He picked up the weapon, holding it just like the woman had previously. No, he wasn't sure how to fire it, but hopefully it was a big enough threat to get his brother out. Mellac licked his dry lips, tasting salt. He needed to get back to the ocean soon or risked dehydration like his brother, but that wasn't what was important right then. Taking a deep breath, he stepped up into the keeper area and hissed, drawing the attention of the curator, one of her two guards, and a man in a white coat.

"Get away from my brother. Now."

Mellac lifted the gun, pointing it right at the guard. He saw the gun on the man's waist and knew he was the one the weapon needed to be focused on.

"I said. Get. Away. From. Him. Now!"

The man in the white coat quickly tucked three empty syringes into his pocket before scampering into the corner where the curator and her guard were now standing.

"Callem?" Mellac questioned without looking in his brother's direction. Callem whined but pushed himself up, raising his bound wrists to tear at the rope they'd used. His serrated teeth made easy work of it, freeing his hands so they could help him get to his feet. It was obvious to Mellac that his brother was in far worse condition than himself and needed out of there now.

"Callem, here. Put these on."

His brother did as told, quickly pulling on the pair of black shorts and white shirt that Mellac tossed him from the bag he'd been carrying. Callem did seem a little dizzy, though, wobbling on his feet while trying to pull the clothing on.

"Why is my brother having trouble standing correctly?"

"We gave him the immunizations he needed." The man in the white coat answered quietly.

"What?"

"Shots... so he doesn't get sick. It's standard procedure."

Mellac hissed, drawing flinches from all three humans in the corner.

"The shots may make him dizzy and possibly throw up, but they shouldn't cause anything worse than that," the curator stammered.

"Nothing worse? Losing water in the state he is in could mean death!" His brother could not afford to throw up.

The group looked at Mellac in fear, but thankfully the younger one was able to walk out of the building and did not seem to be about to vomit... yet. As soon as Callem was out the door, Mellac grabbed the handle and shut it with himself inside, then screeched. He walked out moments later, leaving the three humans on the floor, unconscious. When he stepped out to see his brother leaning against a tree, Mellac quickly ran over to help Callem stand. He put his brother's arm over his shoulder and straightened, helping him walk once he was steady enough on his feet.

"Hang on. Your little human is waiting for you just outside of this disgusting place."

The younger mer grunted, managing to walk a few steps before dropping more of his weight onto his brother.

"Dammit. Alright, come on."

Mellac shifted Callem around a bit until he was facing his brother, then grinned.

"Callem, up up?"

Callem's head jerked up, eyes wide with surprise. He hadn't heard that for years, not since he was a little mer. With a tired but excited bark, he wrapped his arms around his brother's strong shoulders and allowed himself to be lifted up much like a child would by a parent. Well, Mellac had been his parent for many years, so it was completely normal and comforting to be held in his arms when he wasn't feeling well or was upset.

"There we go."

Mellac had tossed the gun aside in order to hold his brother better, not wanting him to fall as he began walking out of the park. He ignored the ice cream vendor, thankfully, and made decent time getting into the parking lot. It wasn't until he was walking across the first open portion of the lot that people in the park figured out what was going on and a cop ran out to confront them. Mellac heard him scream for them to stop but like hell he would.

A loud bang rang out, making both brothers wince, but again, Mellac refused to stop. That is until another shot was heard and a splitting pain surged through his left ankle, sending the brothers to the hard, hot pavement. Everything was a blur of agony as Mellac fought to get back up. It felt like he had just been bitten by a shark.

Suddenly his body was being lifted and carried. He struggled until he noticed Callem following with Parker pulling him by the arm. Once they were both in the backseats of the truck, Parker floored it and sped out of the area. Mellac had to rest his head against Jayson's shoulder, panting heavily as he did his best to fight the pain.

"Let me treat your wound," Jay offered hesitantly.

Mellac growled, but when Jay turned and yanked his shirt off, the mer sat up, eying him warily.

"Park, can I have that water bottle you leave up there?"

Parker nodded and reached over once the car had stopped at a red light, grabbing the bottle before tossing it back to Jayson.

"Let me see your ankle. It doesn't look like the bullet actually went through, just grazed."

Mellac hesitated but slowly lifted his injured foot when Jay didn't back down.

"Okay, this might sting for a moment but just bear with it, okay?"

He didn't give the mer much time to respond as he poured the remainder of the warm water from the bottle over Mellac's bleeding wound. There was a loud hiss of pain in response, but Jayson didn't heed it as he wrapped his shirt around the injury and tied it tight.

"There we go. That should be good enough for now."

~Jayson

It was over three hours later when we finally pulled into a tiny hotel and Parker ran in to get us a room. When he came back out, we parked around the back side of the building, and I carried an annoyed Mellac inside while Parker helped Callem. I immediately got the injured mer into the bathtub and began filling it with cool water. We had stopped at a random gas station before leaving town to buy a good amount of sea salt, bandages, and antibiotics, so after Park helped Callem inside, he ran back out and grabbed the bags, bringing them up and into the bathroom.

"It's filling up now, dump some of the salt in. They both need it badly," I said before looking over at Callem as he scrambled into the tub. His chest was flaking scales in quite a few places as well as several big patches peeling on his face and arms. Parker handed him some salt, pouring it in the palm of his hand. Callem began licking at it eagerly once his hand was partially full.

"Alright, watch out, I'm gonna add some antibiotic to Mellac's ankle."

Parker backed off, giving me plenty of room to lean over and grab the mer's ankle from beneath the water. He growled but didn't bother fighting me. Good. Once I got it unwrapped, I noticed that it really was just a deep flesh wound. That meant I at least didn't have to dig a bullet out of his skin.

"Hand me the soap. It's probably best to wash this really well before putting the bandage on it."

I felt a bar of hotel soap being pressed into my hand and rolled my eyes.

We should have grabbed some real soap when we grabbed the salt.

Ignoring my annoyance, I lathered up the bar as best I could and began scrubbing Mellac's wound. In hindsight, I probably should have showed Callem how to do it instead so when the pressure added a good amount of pain, he wouldn't be aggressive, but yeah, I was suddenly pinned beneath the steadily rising water. I could see Parker struggling to pull Mellac's arm away, but he wouldn't budge until the sound of his brother speaking mumbled through the water.

I was yanked up abruptly, my mouth gaping open to take in a huge breath of air as soon as I broke the surface. Coughs wracked my body while Mellac spoke, but I couldn't really hear him over the pounding of my heart in my ears and the coughing. The awkward position I was in, with my legs hanging over the edge of the tub and my body in the water, made it nearly impossible to not slip back down, so I carefully moved until I was sitting in the bathtub normally. My arms were shakily holding me up as I regained my breath.

Feeling a sudden warmth, my gaze darted downward to see arms wrapping around my shoulders before a very firm chest pressed flush against my back. Mellac's face appeared to my right, his cheek gently rubbing against mine for a moment before he smirked maliciously.

Damn his confusing signals. With any other person, that would have been a show of affection, but of course he has to mean it as aggression.

"Tell me... human."

I blinked, nearly chewing a hole through my bottom lip from fear as my gaze met his narrowed eyes. I wasn't really sure what he wanted me to tell him. To be honest, my focus was split between the look in his eyes and the movement of his right hand, which had left my shoulder to travel down my chest and across my abdomen beneath the water.

"Tell me. Your human friend and my brother said that you saved my life..."

I knew I technically had since he'd been slated for execution, and after him going back in there and breaking Callem out, they would have likely just shot him. Hell, the guard did get him in the ankle and was still shooting as I carried him back to the truck.

"I... guess I did?"

He gave a low growl and nuzzled his nose against my neck, warming the skin there.

"What were you doing to my ankle? That hurt."

Swallowing hard, I licked my lips and replied quietly.

"Cleaning it. I-it could get infected if i-it isn't cleaned."

He seemed to think about that for a minute before I felt a wet tongue run along my throat.

"It is clean now?"

I gave a shaky nod, hoping that was all he wanted to know.

"Yes. It just needs to be rewrapped now so i-it can heal correctly."

A low rumble vibrated through the skin he now had his lips pressed against. My heart felt like a jackhammer against my ribs when he didn't answer for over a minute and instead just focused on licking and nuzzling.

"I must be an idiot," he growled quietly.

Before I could ask him what he was talking about, I felt his left hand release me, only to snag my hair in a death grip while his right arm wrapped around my chest so firmly that I was literally glued to him.

"Mellac?"

His left hand jerked my head to the side right before he sank his teeth into my neck.

~Parker

I saw it coming, but there was nothing I could do against Mellac. I didn't have a weapon, and his brother was soaking right behind him in the bathtub. So, I had to force myself not to lunge forward when Mellac clamped his jaws down on my best friend's neck.

Jayson freaked out, not surprisingly, but each time he tried to get free, Mellac held onto him tighter, hunching his body over Jay's until his face was almost back underwater. That forced Jay to stop struggling or face being drowned. Obvious choice was obvious. Callem seemed completely unfazed by his brother's actions, though he was watching while continuing to lick at the salt in his hand.

When Mellac finally released Jay, his neck was red and bloody, much worse than what Callem's teeth had done to mine. Jay turned around shakily, still wrapped in Mellac's right arm. The mer had a cocky look on his face, obviously expecting the question, when Jay spoke. Mellac lifted his left hand once more and traced his fingers along Jay's lips as he did his best to form words.

"Wh-What did you just do?"

The response Mellac gave had my blood running cold.

"I will put it in a way even my brother and your little human friend can understand. Jayson Mellac's."

If Callem hadn't begun panting heavily seconds after Mellac's words had been spoken, we all would have likely stared for a good while longer. Instead, Mellac turned to his brother and started wetting his body, but it wasn't helping much. I scooted closer and quickly pressed my hand to Callem's forehead.

"Crap. It's a fever."

Mellac glared at me, growling beneath his breath as he splashed his brother faster.

"Those damn humans did something to him. They said they shot him."

Shot him? But he doesn't have any bullet wounds.

The answer hit me in the face. They gave him animal shots.

"Darn, uh. Okay, they shouldn't be fatal, they just usually cause fevers and dizziness, sometimes throwing up."

Right on cue, Callem began to heave. Thankfully, there was a small waste basket by the toilet. I quickly snatched it up and put it just beneath his chin seconds before he threw up a ton of water. There were only a few pieces of food, but that wasn't a surprise since he hadn't eaten much recently.

"He needs a lot more salt."

I nodded at Mellac's words and grabbed the other bag, taking out the last container and dumping it all in the tub. Mellac stirred it up a little, then climbed out. It was amazing that he could stand on his injured foot, but I noticed that the injury was no longer bleeding very much.

"Hey, Mellac?"

He looked down at me as I stood, feeling my sore body relax a little from kneeling for so long.

"I'm going to run out and get some fish. Maybe Callem will eat?"

His gaze darted back to his brother as Callem ducked beneath the water. Jayson had jumped out a second after Mellac had, not wanting to be in the way of the younger mer. Although, when he tried to walk past Mellac, the mer quickly reached out and snagged him around the waist, forcing their bodies together with little effort, abdomen to abdomen.

Well, at least they're both still wearing clothing.

"Understood. I will look after Callem and my mate until you return."

"Yeah. Okay. I'll be back soon. Don't answer the door for anyone and keep it locked."

I wasn't too sure leaving Jayson alone with Mellac and Callem was a good idea, but I knew the older mer would become aggressive if I tried to take Jay with me. So with a tired smile, I walked to the door and stepped out.

# 19. I Will Teach You

The door clicking shut behind Parker felt like my funeral bells ringing. Immediately Mellac pressed me against him and began licking my cheek. And don't think I didn't notice something poking me after only a few seconds.

No way, man.

I jerked out of his arms and rushed into the bedroom area, jumping onto the bed closest to the door. When he didn't come after me, my brows knit together.

"Come here, human. You belong to me and should mate me as such," Mellac said nonchalantly from where he still stood in the bathroom.

Yeah? He can drown himself in a... oh, right, fish guy.

"Uh, sorry, man, not interested."

Mellac growled and started toward me after stepping out of the bathroom, but I kept backing up, trying to stay just out of reach.

"You do not get a choice. I claimed you as my mate, and you shall do as I say."

He lunged at me, but I jumped just in time, landing on the other bed while he pushed himself off the first and snarled.

"Dude, I may be able to deal with the whole sexing up a mermaid—uh, merman thing eventually, but that doesn't mean I'm going to just roll over and spread my legs."

His face skewed in annoyance, obviously unhappy that I wasn't some dog willing to bend over for him whenever he wanted to do 
it.

"We don't just bow down to our 'mates' in the human version of this..." I gestured between us, then shut up and waited for him to get pissed again. I figured he would try to attack a second time, but when he took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders a slight amount, I did the same, letting a quiet sigh slip from my parted lips.

"Well then, human. What is it that your species does?"

Oh. Uh. I never thought I'd have to explain this to another guy.

"Um... we, uh. Date, and kiss and stuff."

His gills flared slightly, silently warning me to elaborate.

"I-I mean, if you want me to mate with you, you're supposed to take me out to get food, have fun, kiss... that kind of thing."

He tilted his head slowly, tongue darting out to lick at his dry lips.

"I... take you outside? That is ridiculous. What is a kiss?"

I hesitated to move closer, knowing that he was still much more interested in getting to my behind than learning what that word was.

"I-It's pressing your lips against someone else's."

Okay, every expression on Mellac's face now looked like he wanted to puke from annoyance and aggravation.

"What are you humans? Mating is mating. Male mers breed, then usually leave. There is no going outside or lip touching, that is strange."

He reached out again, catching me by surprised with a clawed hand around my ankle. I was suddenly yanked off my feet and straight toward him as my back slid against the bed sheets.

"
Mellac
."

His body loomed over me as he climbed onto the bed, hands trying to pin mine above my head.

"You will be silent and obey me." He hissed, but I was too afraid of other 
things
 to really heed the warning. Instead, I actually hissed back, then let a deep growl escape my throat. Immediately he leaned back, eyes wide and extremely confused as he stared down at me. He remained that way for a long moment before leaning back down, hands on either side of my head, teeth bared. I mirrored the action identically, baring my own teeth.

"You dare challenge me, human?"

"You can't just mate with me without doing what my species is used to."

"Yes, I can. You are weak, you cannot stop me."

He began reaching for the hem of my shirt, and I flinched, grabbing for his arm though I knew I couldn't match his strength.

"Stop. Please, Mellac."

His gaze met mine once more but seemed to linger there longer than before, then he leaned down, immediately making me squeeze my eyes shut in fear of being bitten. But when I felt a gentle but rough tongue run just beneath my left eye, then trail over the bridge of my nose and end at my right eye, I hesitantly opened them to see Mellac's tongue retreat back into his mouth.

"Why are you leaking saltwater, human? You cannot survive in the ocean, so how do you have it?"

I couldn't help but sniffle a chuckle at that.

"It is called tears, Mellac. Humans cry when they are stressed or afraid."

"Tears?"

I nodded, blinking as several more ran down my cheeks to disappear into my hair.

"D-Do not do that. You will lose too much water."

Oh, he cares about me dying, but not having his way with my butt? Of course.

"I will not die from it, Mellac." I said with a quiet sarcastic chuckle. His eyes narrowed, and he seemed to be about to continue where he had left off, but then he paused a few inches from my face. When he didn't move, I hesitantly met his gaze but didn't dare question him about his intentions. Well, I found out what they were moments later when his surprisingly soft but dry lips pressed against my own. I'd never thought I'd ever kiss another man besides Parker, but Mellac was going straight to town on my poor mouth. When he finally leaned back to take a breath, I gasped for air and spoke quickly.

"Y-You can kiss some other places, t-too... u-usually above someone's waist."

It isn't that I want his mouth all over me, 'cause I don't! But I need to breathe and not have my mouth all bloody from his teeth.

Thankfully he seemed to understand and began 'kissing' my neck, shoulders, and arms... but it was definitely more like biting.

"Softer... h-hurts, Mellac."

He growled and gave me a few stronger bites, but when he looked up and I was crying again, he quickly toned it down, just nipping here and there with a few licks spaced randomly between them. When he finally returned back to my mouth, I could feel multiple bruises forming all over my upper body, but his lips were placed against mine with a gentleness I didn't think the aggressive mer was capable of. We tasted each other's mouths for a good while, or more importantly, until I heard Parker's confused voice in the room.

~Parker

Okay, that took a lot longer than I had planned. Two hours after I had left, I managed to get back to the hotel room. It didn't take so long because the stores were too far away or anything of that sort, but every time I saw a police car I had to take a sudden detour or U-turn. It wasn't fun, especially in a big truck. Thankfully, though, I'm pretty sure none of them followed me back.

Now then... time to see the carnage I come back to.

Grabbing the key-card I had dangling between my teeth, I quickly unlocked the door while juggling the bags in my arms, then kicked it shut with a relieved sigh. The sigh wasn't from what was or wasn't going on in the room but because I had finally made it back and was not in handcuffs, being questioned about two missing mermen. Pushing those thoughts aside now, I looked up and, uh...

"Mellac?"

His glazed eyes looked over at me lazily from where he lay atop Jayson, thankfully fully clothed, on the second bed.

Uhm... nothing like walking in on my best friend and his new 'mer'derous boyfriend making out.

"Uhm... I'm just... gonna go this way."

I tried to sidestep around them as I got closer to the bathroom and the second bed. However, as soon as I got within a few feet, Mellac snarled and flared his gills, forcing me to jump back.

"M-Mellac, I need to go help your brother."

I lifted the bags grasped in my hands slightly and gave a hesitant smile.

"I got him some fish and medicine, to help him feel better."

The mer was quiet for a long moment before sighing and looking down at Jayson. His gills relaxed and the growling stopped, allowing me to relax at the same time. Jayson, on the other hand, was actually hiding a little beneath Mellac.

Is he embarrassed? Cute, haha!

"You okay, Jay?"

"He is fine. I am doing as he said in order to gain my right to mate with him. I did kiss, and I will take him outside soon, then we will mate."

Not really sure what that is about, but I'll just let Jay take care of it.

I carefully took that opportunity to skirt past the two so I could get into the bathroom. The second I stepped through the open door, I saw a very excited Callem.

"Parker! Arf! Arf!"

Err.

Hurrying over, I knelt besides the tub and set my stuff down, then lifted a finger to my lips.

"Shhhh, Callem."

This place doesn't allow dogs. So I'm pretty sure it doesn't allow mers, either.

He quieted after a moment, but then his butt was wiggling in the water while he tried to lean over the edge of the tub and lick my face.

"You are the biggest puppy in the world, you know that?"

His head tilted for a moment, just like his brother's often did.

"Puppy?"

Okay, the innocent look on his face definitely screamed 'puppy', but I knew better. He'd probably eat a puppy if he ever got his hands on one. Anyways, I leaned forward and let him give me a few licks before sitting back on my heels and digging through one of the bags. Pulling out a bottle of organic medicine, I glanced up at him and grinned.

"Can you take those clothes off for me, Callem?"

He blinked and licked his lips. It wasn't necessary for the medicine, but it would probably help his damaged skin to not have fabric so close.

"Parker puppy," he chimed, making me grin.

"Uh... not quite. Here, let me help."

Setting the bottle down on the cold tile floor, I leaned forward and tugged his shirt over his head. It took a few tries since he didn't understand his arms had to be up for it to work... mainly because I was a good bit smaller than him in size. I even ended up lifting my own arms up, then saying "Stay," so he'd hold the position when he mirrored the action. It worked after the fourth try, but then he kept his arms up.

"Callem, look. Do as I do, okay?"

I raised my arms, then lowered them. No response. Okay...

"Callem? Do to Parker, okay?"

He finally dropped his arms but then grabbed me and yanked my whole body into the tub with him. I wasn't sure what he was going to do afterward because we both jerked our attention toward the door when Jayson came stomping in with a very pissed-off expression on his face.

"Dammit. Why did you leave me with him when you went shopping?"

He shoved his arm across his mouth, wiping away some blood, then proceeded to wash his face in the sink. I think he even scrubbed his mouth out with soap.

"Uh, there wasn't much I could really do about it. He can easily kill me, Jay."

I knew he was aware that, but he still had the right to be mad.

"Why don't you try to talk with him about it?"

Okay, that earned me a pretty nasty glare. Callem must have felt me sink against him a bit because he bared his teeth and hissed at Jay. I quickly straightened a little and patted his strong chest reassuringly.

"It's okay, Callem. No hurt, please?"

He relaxed almost immediately, but I could tell he was watching Jayson carefully.

"I'm serious. He knows most of our language, or at least enough to communicate decently well. Talk to him. He claimed you as his mate. That must mean something to him."

Jay seemed to want to argue further but deflated after a moment with a tired shrug.

"I guess I'll go try..."

I smiled and reached into one of the bags I had set on the floor, offering him a wrapped package of fish.

"Give this to him? Maybe he'll be easier to talk to if he isn't hungry?"

Jayson gave me a faint smile and took the fish, then sauntered out of the room quietly. He shut the door, giving us privacy as well as himself and Mellac.

"Okay, let's see what we can do for your stomach first, hm?"

Callem grinned and scooted back a bit, giving me some much-needed space to work. First things first, I grabbed the bottle I had left sitting on the tile and took out a small pill. It was basically just condensed herbs, but it had great reviews on the bottle and shouldn't hurt him like modern medicine probably would.

"Here, Callem. Uh, medicine to Callem?"

He reached out, taking the small green pill but didn't seem quite sure if he wanted to eat it. I gestured with my hand to put it in his mouth, but again, nothing.

Okay, time to try a dog trick... hide it in his food.

I grabbed a bundle of fish and unwrapped it carefully. It had cost me an arm and a leg, but I knew farmed fish would probably do him worse rather than better so I had bought wild caught. Farmed was likely what they had been feeding him back at the park, making him unwilling to eat. After getting the first fillet free of its wrapping, I grabbed the pill back and turned slightly, shoving it as best I could beneath a piece of the meat. Callem's full attention was on the fish when I turned back around and offered it to him with a big grin.

"Parker fish to Callem."

He took it without an ounce of hesitation and began inhaling bite after bite. My inner self was cheering loudly, praying that he got the pill, but our dreams were soon crushed when Callem made a funny face, then coughed a few times, the last one making the pill fly down into the water.

"Aw, man."

Grabbing the pill, I tossed it over the edge of the tub, then got out a new one.

"Callem, you need to take the medicine."

He glanced up from the fish he was gnawing on but didn't seem interested.

Bah. Why can't he be like a dog and eat the pill hidden in his food?

Rolling my eyes, I shoved the pill into my mouth and leaned forward right as Callem was about to take another big bite of fish. Our lips crashed together, and before he had a chance to even think about what I was doing, I shoved my tongue, and the pill, halfway down his darn throat. Callem shook his head, confused and quite surprised when I backed off and licked my lips. He mirrored my action, licking his own, but he didn't seem satisfied and did it again, and again. Then when he realized something, his gaze rose to meet mine and he licked his lips a fourth time.

"Callem to Parker."

He traced his tongue slowly along his lower lip, making my heart stumble around in my chest.

"Yes?"

Suddenly I was shoved up against the tile wall near the spigot with Callem's teeth harshly biting at my lips. I squeaked from pain when he caught my lower one a bit too hard. Immediately, he barked and jumped back in response, splashing a little wave of water over the edge of the tub. I lifted my right hand to press a few fingers to my now-bleeding lip as I watched his expression.

"Callem hurt Parker."

His face fell the second I finished speaking.

"It's okay, you didn't mean it. Come here, Callem."

He scooted a little closer, and I carefully leaned up, pressing my lips to his gently. For a few seconds, we were doing okay with soft kisses, but then he became aggressive again and bit me. I squeaked, and he jumped back
. 
This time, however, he leaned back in on his own accord and was gentler. It was a minute later when I gasped as he caught my tongue with a particularly sharp bite. He backed off but returned a moment later. Sometime around the twelfth try, he finally managed to get it down fairly well. He was a serious addict to French kissing, and I had to push him away more than a few times so I could catch my breath. When he finally relented to catch his own, he was all smiles and giddy.

"Heh, Callem likes to kiss Parker?"

His grin grew a bit as he questioned me.

"Like to kiss Parker?"

I chuckled and leaned forward, pressing my lips against his for a second before leaning back.

"Kiss."

His brows rose as he licked his lips, then leaned forward and kissed me for a moment.

"Kiss Parker?"

"Yes. Kiss."

I pressed my mouth against his one more time and laughed lightly when he spoke.

"Callem likes to kiss Parker."

"I like kissing you, too, but unfortunately we have more important things to do right now."

Says who?

Slapping my thoughts, I got myself out of the tub and watched as Callem quickly followed. He already looked like he felt a bit better after soaking in the water for a while and eating. I doubted that pill took effect yet, but it was there too and should be working soon.

"I got something for you, but first you need to get out of those clothes or you're fever is going to get bad."

Of course he had no idea what I was saying so I just grabbed the hem of his shorts and yanked them down. He stepped out of the fabric without much care about being naked.

Hah, not like he has anything to be ashamed about.

"Come on, let me show you. I think you'll like it."

I grabbed the other bag and was now tugging Callem into the main room. When we got in front of the first bed, the one not currently occupied by Mellac... snuggling a passed-out Jay? I gently nudged Callem onto it.

"Wait here."

Setting the bag down, I knelt and got busy pulling out the thing and setting it up. Once it was ready, I hopped up and sat on the bed next to Callem, setting the item in his naked lap.

"It can help you learn how to talk to me better."

It was already on and ready so I swiped my finger along the screen, flipping the page to begin the book.

"See, you tap the screen like this..."

I touched the picture of the cow, and a female computer voice began to talk through the device.

"Cow. Cows go 'moooo'."

Callem smiled and tried to make the sound, but god did it just sound like he was jerking himself off. Pushing that thought to the very back of my mind, I quickly tapped another picture, this time of a chicken.

"Chicken. Chickens go cluck cluck."

Jay had snored a tiny bit when the device spoke so the fact that Callem repeated the words as "Uck fuck." didn't surprise me in the least, but I did smack my forehead with my palm pretty hard.

"Okay, let's try something a little different."

I switched the book to one a bit simpler, then grabbed his hand and carefully made him tap a picture with his pointer finger.

"Girl."

"...girl?"

He looked at me, and I nodded. Immediately, he smiled and pressed another picture.

"Boy."

"
Boy
."

I nodded enthusiastically. He moved his finger like I had to turn the page and smiled when it worked and more pictures popped up.

"Eat. Girl eats."

He tapped several more pictures on the page, all of them dealing with food before looking back at me.

"Callem eat Parker?"

I choked on air, beating my chest for a second before getting myself under control, but of course Mellac was snickering from where he lay on the other bed.

Hmph!

"You know what Callem? Cows eat a lot of food."

He glanced back at his brother, then turned to me excitedly.

"Mellac cow? Mellac eats lot."

There was a deep growl from his brother, but I couldn't let the chance to laugh at the bastard slip by.

"Hah! Yes. Exactly."

Callem bounced up and down where he sat quietly for a second before getting more comfortable with the gadget on the blanket, turning to lie on his belly. All joking aside, I helped him get through three full books before he finally began to yawn.

"Ready for sleep?"

He sat up, licking my cheek softly.

"Sleep... sound... good?"

I couldn't help myself, I had to hug him.

"Yes. You are so smart, Callem."

He hugged me back tightly until I wound up in his lap, the Leapfrog machine and its game cartridges nudged aside for the moment.

"Can... Callem kiss Parker?"

"Yes."

He gave an excited yip and quickly pressed his lips against mine. We fell onto the blankets a few minutes later, but I didn't mind at all. His arms stayed around me, and I tugged part of the blanket over us, just enough to keep us both warm but not mess with Callem's skin as much as possible.

"Parker Callem's..."

My eyes were already closing as I nuzzled against his warm body and nodded.

"Yes. Parker Callem's... and Callem Parker's."

I felt him nuzzle my hair softly and give a quiet whine, but soon I was completely lost to sleep, feeling surprisingly safe in my amazing merman's arms.

# 20. When It's Just Not Enough

"Can you tell me your name? My name is Leapfrog."

"My... name... is Callem."

"Great job. What is your favorite thing to eat?"

"
Parker
."

My eyes opened wide when I heard my name shouted in the dark room. Well, mostly dark room. Callem was sitting cross-legged on the blanket, the Leapfrog device in his lap. I noticed a bunch of the cartridges tossed aside with only a couple left near him.

"Hnn... what are you doing, Callem?"

My voice was heavy with sleep, which I kinda wanted to get back to. His gaze darted to me, and a big white smile appeared on his face.

"Callem... why do you look so tired? Have you been up all night with that thing?"

"Yes."

He tossed the computer aside and scooted in next to me with a happy hum.

"Heheh, wanna tell me what you've learned?"

"Yes. I learned that Callem is my name."

"Wow, yes, it is."

I could see his backside wiggling beneath the blankets as he rested on his belly and his chin plopped down on my chest.

Total puppy.

"Parker, I learned lot. Mellac not really a cow, even if he eat like one."

I snickered, hugging his head lightly before he shifted so he could take me into his arms. His gorgeous oceanic eyes were lit up with eagerness, wiping away the thought of going back to sleep for a bit. I wanted to join in his excitement.

"What else did you learn? I want to know."

"I learned how to count to ten. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."

Okay, he is a genius. Sure they are simple things to learn, but for someone to get them all down in one short night?

"You are awesome."

"And Parker is cute."

My cheeks warmed, and I tucked my face against his chest, hiding a little. A deep chuckle rumbled through him as he leaned over, nuzzling at my hair before I heard him whisper near my ear.

"Did Callem 'barass Parker?"

I grumbled, rolling my eyes at him and his funny sentence.

"Hehe, my Parker."

His arms squeezed me a little before I adjusted and flopped my messy bed-head back onto the pillow.

"Parker has nice eyes... and a nice face."

I blushed again and stuck my tongue out.

"Dork."

He didn't seem to understand what I said, but that didn't slow him down.

"Parker is my mate, and Mellac is my brother. Jayson is Parker friend and my brother mate..."

I chuckled and nodded, yawning a little while he continued.

"...and we are family."

~Jayson

Hearing Callem speak so enthusiastically to Parker had my stomach twisting into knots. My best friend would kill me if he knew I had been thinking about calling the police and telling them where we were. Hearing them talk hurt worse than my own body did with the healing bruises and bite marks Mellac had left on it the night before from his trial run at kissing. My waist also ached from where he was holding me because each time I tried to move a little and get more comfortable, he'd tighten his hold and growl quietly. It was obvious after the second time that he was still asleep, but with Mellac, the threat was always real. Asleep or not. He proved that concept completely true when I had tried to speak with him last night, but he wouldn't back down on anything. I was his mate and was to obey him as such. He had done the kissing, and though he would let me sleep for the night to regain my strength, I would breed with him come morning.

Seeing his sleeping face in the darkness was so misleading. All of his worry lines were pressed smooth against his forehead, making his features appear much younger and more relaxed. If he wasn't so aggressive and demanding, I might have been able to try to learn to love him, but in all honesty, I was absolutely terrified of the merman. My eyes closed for a second only to see a sleepy soft green pair staring back at me when they opened again. Immediately I felt my lips part, trying to find something to say, but there was nothing. Mellac watched me like one would a deer they intended to gun down. And that's exactly what I felt I was now.

"Hey Jayson, are you awake?"

I flinched when Parker's voice whispered through the darkness. Mellac growled and pulled me closer, but I ignored that for the moment and replied to my friend.

"Yeah. What's up, Park?"

"Can I talk to you in the bathroom for a bit? We both need a shower, and I got us some basic clean clothes."

I bit my lower lip and stared into Mellac's dark eyes, knowing that he'd probably be the one answering Parker instead of me.

"No," the mer said, right on time.

"I didn't ask you, Mellac."

"Jayson is mine, I make the decisions for him until I no longer wish to mate him," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Okay, that pissed me off.

"I can make my own decisions."

He snarled at me and began to loom over my body, but I wasn't going to take this one lying down. Well, yes, I was, but he wasn't going to win.

"Knock it off, Mellac. I told you humans have different ways of doing things. One of those things is called trust. What exactly do you expect me to do with Parker in the bathroom besides talk?"

"I know you love him. I am no idiot, human."

"Yes, 
idiot
, I love him. That doesn't mean I'm gonna have sex with him in the bathroom of a cheap hotel just to say I did, because I know he doesn't love me back in that way... even if I wish he did."

There was quiet in the room for a long moment before he released me and rolled over, giving me his back without a word.

Fine, be a grumpy ass. Not like it's any different from how you normally are.

With my own growl, I slid out of bed and stalked into the bathroom. Running my hand along the wall, I managed to flip the light switch on right as Parker walked in and shut the door, forcing us both to wince at the dull yet bright light. While Park got situated on the toilet seat, I got the shower going and tossed my clothes off to the side, then climbed in. The scalding water felt amazing, drawing a content sigh from my lips as it warmed my hurting body up nicely.

"So... I wanted to ask if you were okay."

My muscles tensed up at the sound of his worried voice. It wasn't his normal, somewhat cheerful one that seemed a bit on edge. No, he was honestly worried about me, or about what I might do. Leaning my suddenly-numb body against the chilly tiled wall, I took a deep breath in through my mouth and slowly released it out my nose.

"I can't do this, Park..."

It was just a whisper, but it was all I could muster with how defeated I felt right then. I was giving up on this whole merman thing. I was giving up on my best friend. The one guy I thought I could change for, but I decided I wanted to change far too late.

"You should take them now."

"Jayso—"

"Parker, don't. I-I'm going to call... as soon as I'm done in the shower."

My throat ached from the pain of what I was saying. I didn't want the mers to end up back at the park or a research lab, but I just couldn't do this anymore. Mellac might have pushed me over the edge, but if I went through with this, I was going to lose my job and likely get arrested, losing my house and the damn life I had worked so hard to get.

"I just can't do this anymore. Park. You need to go, please."

Suddenly the curtain drew back, and Parker slipped between myself and the water. He was completely naked, and without a single ounce of hesitation, I wrapped my right arm around his lower back and pressed my left hand gently against his backside, pulling him into me until our bodies were flush against each other. I found myself taking in a deep breath as I nuzzled against his neck, then let my forehead drop to his shoulder with a tired chuckle.

"I'm ready to put something up your butt now."

It lifted my heart a tiny bit that my little joke got a small chuckle from him. Too bad I was being serious, but we both knew it was done and over with now. Whatever little ounce of romance we'd had for each other in the past would stay right there. In the past. His arms wrapped around my neck, pulling our bodies even closer as he tucked his head beneath my chin and his shoulders began to shake.

I'm so sorry I have to do this, Parker. I love you, I just can't give it all away, I'd have nothing and I'm terrified of that happening.

I lifted my face slowly until my lips were right against his ear, then whispered quietly.

"Take care of them, okay? They need you."

He nodded against my skin, making me hug him even tighter for one more minute before he got himself under control and relaxed his hold on me. In turn, I released him from my arms and watched as he slowly took a step back.

"Thank you so much for coming this far with me."

I watched solemnly as he tried to smile, but after living with him for so many years, I could tell that it was forced. Returning it with a small one of my own, I nodded at him, then tilted my head toward the door. He swallowed hard and nodded, turning and stepping out of the shower. As soon as he disappeared from my sight, I felt a strong pull to go after him, but instead I just told him one last thing.

"There's three hundred dollars in my pants pocket. Take it... and best of luck, be safe."

The bathroom door clicked shut seconds later with a finality that left my heart torn apart. I wanted to crumble to the floor of the shower and just cry, but instead I forced myself to step out from under the no longer reassuringly warm spray and lock the door. Not a second after I slid down to the floor, back against the hard wood, I heard Parker start yelling that they needed to go immediately.

"Jayson called the police. They're already on their way."

"
What
?"

Mellac...

His footsteps were easily audible as he ran to the door and began banging on it, hard. Each thump jostled my back from the reverberation through the wood. I began to shiver, arms wrapped around my knees as I thought about what might happen if he was actually able to break the door down.

"Mellac, we don't have time. Come on!"

"Shut up, human!"

"Mellac, I'm leaving you here if you don't come now. If we get caught, you and your brother are as good as dead."

There was one final, excruciatingly loud bang against the door, then the sound of three sets of footsteps running on carpet, then concrete... down steps... The squealing of tires and the near-silent click as the door slid softly back into place made me realize the huge spot Parker had taken up in my heart, one that would now forever be a gaping hole I wouldn't be able to fill.

I didn't register much as I got myself off of the cold floor and walked out into the empty bedroom in a daze.

The blankets were thrown askew.

I put my pants back on.

Callem's Leapfrog machine was on the bed.

I walked over to pick up my phone. My hands were shaking so badly.

My body gave out and dropped. I was just barely able to catch myself enough to slide down against the side of the second bed.

I dialed the number. Taking several tries because my eyes were completely useless from the amount of tears flowing free from them.

"Hello?"

"Yes, l'd like to report something..."

~Mers

Mellac watched with a blank expression on his face as cars passed theirs, car after car after car. He didn't really see them, though. His attention was too focused on the window, or rather, what he saw in the window. Jayson was staring back at him, afraid, worried, and terrified. Tears ran down his cheeks, making Mellac move closer with an unsettled feeling in his chest. His lips parted ever so slightly, letting slip a minuscule whisper only meant for the image to hear.

"Do not cry... human."

The tears continued as if the image had not heard him, several snaking paths down his cheeks only to disappear as they slipped from his chin. Seeing so many bothered Mellac deeply, bringing him to lean forward and close his eyes as his tongue ran softly below the image's right eye, then across to its left. However, when he allowed his eyes to open once more, the only image staring sadly back at him with tears running like solemn waves, was his own.

# 21. You Can't Run Away From This

"Parker?"

"Parkerrrrr."

I shook my head, clearing away my thoughts of Jay as I heard Callem's worried voice. When we stopped at a red light, I looked over at him and smiled, though it was definitely forced.

"Parker, you are sad."

Straight to the point. I suppose it's for the best, though.

"Yeah."

"Why did Jayson be bad?"

I sighed, turning my attention back to the road as someone honked behind me to get moving.

"It's complicated, Callem."

"He was afraid of me."

The sudden deep voice from the backseat made me jump a little. I'd thought Mellac had fallen asleep with how quiet he had been. I suppose he was just not interested in talking until then.

"There was that."

"Fool. I would not kill my mate, he did not need to do something so stupid."

It sounded exactly like something Mellac would normally say, but for some reason, I could hear a slight rasp in his voice, making me wonder what was going on in his head.

"Besides what Mellac had intended to do, Jayson was worried about where his life was going. I didn't have much to lose since I was just basically living with him. Sure, losing my job sucks, and soon I will be out of money, if they haven't already frozen my bank account for stealing you guys, haha."

The three hundred dollars in my pocket was the only cash I had left. My last twenty went into the gas tank to fill up the truck right before I came back yesterday. Guess it was a good idea since we'd had to run pretty damn fast that morning.

"What do you have to lose?"

Callem made sure to emphasize the word 'do' in his question. I hadn't really thought about it that much, or, well, there wasn't much to think about.

"I have my freedom, and I have you."

From the corner of my eye, I caught Callem smiling softly and chuckled.

"It'll be okay, though. I'll get you guys back to the ocean safely, then figure things out from there."

"Parker stay with us?"

"I can't breathe underwater, Callem, but I'll try to find a way to visit you guys."

"I'm not staying around."

I glanced into the rearview mirror to see a very blatantly pouting Mellac.

"Okay? Leave if you wish once we get there."

He growled, but I just ignored him as I took the next turn for the interstate. It wasn't the smartest move since I figured they'd have plenty of people watching for us there, but I really couldn't afford to risk the slower roads that ran along the coast, either. At least this way we'd be at the water within the hour.

"Callem, what are you going to do when you're back in the ocean?"

"I..."

I chanced a glance over at him when he stuttered but couldn't read his expression before I had to look back toward the road.

"I do not want go back without Parker."

"I know, sweetie."

We were silent for a long while before the flashing of police lights and the clip of a siren drew my attention to the rearview mirror.

"Shit."

We still had at least fifteen minutes before the bridge that brought us over to the beach.

"Hang on, guys."

Flooring the truck, I switched lanes and powered ahead of the cop car. There was no way I would be able to break away from the guy completely on the interstate so I swerved into the off ramp and followed it straight through a stop sign and onto a smaller highway. My GPS was on, but I had it set to silent, just showing a map and the easiest way to get to the beach since Callem kept growling at the little voice as it told me to turn at different streets. Taking a right to merge into traffic, I lost the cop for a few seconds, which gave me enough time to jump across the small median for a U-turn, then turn right onto an older road. My truck easily managed the huge potholes and broken asphalt, but the cop was struggling to control his car and keep it from careening into a tree as I sped ahead.

"Yes."

"Yes?" Callem questioned.

"We got away from the bastard, and this road dead-ends into a river that should lead straight out to the ocean."

"Parker..."

"You guys will finally be free."

"Parker."

"I'm so happy right now. You have no idea."

"Parker! I not leave."

My breath hitched, and I nearly let my truck swerve into the brush as it hit a hard dip in the road. My gaze jerked sideways toward Callem, staring at him just long enough for me to lose control of the wheel as my car hit another large hole and veered off the dusty road right into several small trees.

~Jayson

That call had been the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. The police had just dropped me off back at my house after a very long and silent ride. They had questioned me like hell about where Parker intended to go before we left the hotel, but all I could really say was the obvious, to the ocean. Eventually they took the answer for the truth, and in payment for at least calling them, they let me go home.

I was still on call for further questioning and might be called to testify against Parker when they caught him, but I don't think I'd be able to put him in jail. Giving a deep sigh, I staggered up to my front door and nearly pissed myself when it was suddenly yanked open and Oliver appeared with one of my beers in his hand.

"Um...?"

"You asked me to watch the house, idiot."

"Oh. Right."

Walking over to my sofa, I dropped into it and stretched my legs out.

"God, it feels good to be back home."

Well, it had until Oliver randomly poured his ice-cold beer right over my head. I jumped up, much more awake but also extremely pissed off now.

"What the fuck, man?"

"You're an asshole, Jayson."

"What? You just dumped beer on me and my new sofa. I just got this thing like, two months ago."

And now it has beer stains on it.

"Oh shut up. You just left Parker alone with two dangerous creatures while being chased by at least half of California's and Oregon's police force."

My face paled, a sheen of sweat suddenly breaking out across my brow.

"Th-They have that many people on him?"

"Yes. It's all over the news, idiot. And they are close to raising his capture status to 'shoot on sight' if he's seen with the two mers."

I grabbed my phone, but Oliver immediately took it from me and snapped it in half.

"Dammit!"

"They have your stupid phone number tapped."

My whole body wanted to drop as numb tingles ran up and down it like an electric current.

"I panicked and left him when he needed me the most... just because I wasn't open to trying a little harder."

"Yeah, you did. Feel like trying to make it right?"

My gaze darted up to see Oliver swinging his keys around his pointer finger with a mischievous grin on his face.

"B-But don't they have your truck bugged? I'd think you being our best friend, they probably think you might try to help."

"Oh hell yeah, they've got it bugged..."

His smile widened.

"No..."

"This is your chance to help the guy you just abandoned... and love."

"O-Oliver, man, come on. Anything but that."

When he turned to saunter out the door, I gave a stressed grumble and followed him to his car. Within minutes we were at his house, and in his garage where I stared at a very slick, black, scary-as-hell, motorcycle. He tossed me a black helmet, which I barely caught, then hopped onto his bike. Once. I'd ridden on a motorcycle once. It had been this very machine... and I had fallen off and broken my arm. Granted, that was three years ago, but I wasn't exactly over it just yet.

"Get on."

Pushing my terror aside, I shoved the helmet on and swung my leg over the seat. My arms were like a vise around his waist, but he was smart and didn't bother complaining about it. Just hearing the bike rev up made me feel ill, but I held my breath and closed my eyes until we were on the road.

"Do you have any idea where he may have gone?" Oliver asked over the roar of his bike.

"Further up the coast, probably to a reservation where he can hide his truck but still get to the ocean easily enough to get Callem and Mellac back to it."

"Alright, Black Forest National Park it is then."

We rode for nearly an hour before he pulled over and took his phone from his pocket in the parking lot of a Denny's.

"Hello? You called, Officer Lenard?"

I couldn't hear what the officer was saying, but I didn't need to wait long to find out.

"You caught them?"

No!

"Yeah... I'm coming."

Oliver hung up, the look on his face grim as he pushed his helmet back down over his head, having had to take it off to answer the phone.

"Hang on."

~Parker

It hurts...

"He's going to die if you don't give him to the doctors."

Mellac?

"No! They not help him."

"Um... Callem? We don't want him to die."

Whose voices are those?

"You chase us. You reason Parker ow!"

I felt Callem hug me tightly and couldn't hold back a pained cry.

"Parker?"

A rough, wet tongue ran along my face repeatedly, but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes or really move anything to respond. Everything hurt. Everywhere hurt.

"Parker? Parker talk. Parker okay. Callem help Parker no ow!"

He licked my face a few more times, but when I didn't respond, he shook me, getting a response alright, a strangled scream.

"Dammit, Callem."

Mellac again...

I was suddenly jerked around, then tossed and caught before being placed onto some type of uncomfortable flat surface. Several people were shouting as I felt needles poke at me and a mask snap over my mouth.

"Parker?"

"Parker!"

It's okay, Callem. I'll be fine, but you need to go... go to the river and swim to freedom.

~Jayson

The second we got to the police station, I jumped off that blasted metal deathtrap and ran inside. A few officers tried to stop me, but I shoved them over, some into desks and others flat on their asses.

Get outta my damn way!

When I slammed the door open to the holding area, I rushed down the line of cells until someone on a gurney at the end of the hallway to my right caught my attention.

"
Park
!"

I skidded to a halt where he was strapped to a pathetic-looking gurney.

"What the hell? Why isn't he in the hospital?"

There were several officers around me, and one older one, a man, turned away from where Callem stood in the cell in front of him with an annoyed look on his face.

"His injuries are not life-threatening and have already been treated so he will not be admitted to a hospital. He is under arrest, and we'll have a cell opening up in a few minutes where he'll be held until his court date."

"Are you fucking serious?"

His bushy brown eyebrows rose, adding to his sarcastic expression.

"Yes?"

Grinding my teeth together, I shoved my way past him and to the cell where Callem and Mellac were being held. Callem looked okay with just a bump on his forehead and a small cut on his cheek, but Mellac's left arm looked serious. It was covered in blood and his face looked incredibly pale, even if he was glaring at me, obviously trying to still seem tough.

"Why is the larger mer not being treated?"

The blonde female officer close to me turned and answered as Oliver walked over to get a better look. He had a small medical kit, which I guessed he kept stored in his bike's saddlebags for uh... such a situation?

"We don't have a dart with a strong enough sedative to keep him down for treatment so he'll have to wait."

"Let me treat him."

The whole corridor suddenly went silent except for when the officer replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Not a chance. He's deadly, and his brother is right next to him."

"So what? I slept next to the guy last night, he's not going to kill me."

She didn't exactly seem convinced, and Mellac was beginning to breathe heavier, making me begin to worry.

"Come on. You can lock me in, I don't care. He just needs help now, or he's going to be in trouble."

"Just train a gun on the mer if you don't trust him, but I agree, he needs treatment immediately," Oliver voiced right after I'd finished speaking.

Several officers ran their fingers through their hair in stress before the blonde unlocked the cell and shoved me inside, slamming the door behind me before I could even get my balance.

Tch! Whatever.

My attention quickly turned to Mellac as Oliver set his medical bag just inside the bars. The larger mer was growling quietly, but I just ignored him and picked up the bag, then sat down next to him on the steel seat jutting out from the wall. I grabbed his arm, getting a snarl that just made me grin.

"Oh, shut up."

For the next twenty minutes, I spent my time meticulously pulling pieces of glass out of his left arm with a pair of tweezers from Oliver's kit. When I was finally done, I made sure to scrub the wound with alcohol, then rub medicine on it.

"How the hell is he not dead yet?" The blonde officer mumbled to herself in shock from just beyond the bars. They had been whispering about Mellac and I the whole time I'd been working on his arm, but now it was just getting annoying.

"Because they aren't animals, idiots." I growled back.

"Yeah right. He was reported as being extremely aggressive at the water park." The blonde replied, making me want to roll my eyes.

"Oh? So you would be a sweet little angel if you were suddenly dragged from your house and forced to sit in a cage and be watched by hundreds of people every day?" I spat the words, but she just came back with more garbage.

"Don't try to tell us that they're just like humans."

Okay, that pissed me off. Finishing up with wrapping Mellac's arm, I stood up and walked over to the bars.

"Oh yeah? Talk to him."

The blonde officer looked over at Mellac, then back to me.

"He won't be able to keep from killing someone, he's too aggressive in the long run."

"He won't? Well, what if he can?"

She looked at me funny so I elaborated with a grin.

"Let him prove it."

Now I had all the guards' attention. Good.

"How?"

"I'll stay with him for a full week, and Parker can stay with his brother since they get along, too. Parker will recover pretty fast if you guys say his injuries aren't that bad, so why not let us prove that they won't just kill people at random and can behave appropriately if given the chance?"

The guard narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips.

"I will be back momentarily. I need to call the head office."

She walked down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. I took the time she was on the phone to relax and regroup my nerves. I was still terrified of Mellac, but man, I'd abandoned Parker once and things turned out like this. I was going to fix my mistake as best I could manage with this opportunity. I hadn't realized my eyes had closed until I heard the woman's footsteps approaching again.

"My boss has okayed it, but both brothers must be kept together and in a confined location. Do you know anywhere that can hold them?"

Licking my lips, I thought about that for a moment before sighing and giving a slow nod.

"Yeah. My work's isolation ward. The rooms are strong enough to withstand his strength in his current condition, and there is a pool in the back they can submerge in."

It sure as hell wasn't ideal and I would have preferred them go to the holding pools or the large tank, but those were both completely out of the question.

The woman nodded and began to dial her phone again while turning away, mumbling, "Alright. I'll make the arrangements for transport" before someone on the other end of the call picked up.

"I-I'm coming too."

All eyes turned to Parker, none of them happy besides mine and Callem's.

"No, you're not. You are under arrest and will be due in court soon."

"Let him come. He won't be able to get out of the isolation room, same as the mers and me. It will also keep the younger mer calmer and healthier."

The female guard turned toward me again, shutting her phone in annoyance.

"How is he going to make him healthier?"

"Callem gets depressed very quickly and will stop eating. His chest still hasn't completely healed from the stress he dealt with at the water park. You can see the scales flaking off still from his last bout of depression. He loves Parker and will eat for him without issue, which should help him finish recovering."

Several of the guards made a disgusted face, but the blonde female, who really should be wearing a damned name tag, shrugged and nodded.

"Whatever. The transport should be here any second now so get up, both of you."

Mellac stood with some effort, and I did the same. I saw all of the officers take their guns out and aim them at the two mers, immediately making me fidget.

"Callem is going to run to Parker, guys. He won't hurt you, so please don't shoot him. He's just extremely worried about him and doesn't understand as much as Mellac yet."

The group looked at each other and backed off until they were behind where Parker lay, still strapped to the movable bed.

"If he goes a step farther..."

"He won't, I swear."

They nodded, and then the female guard shakily undid the lock, allowing the cell door to swing open. My words were right on the mark. As soon as that door was open far enough, Callem was out, running full-on until he skidded to a stop beside Parker. My friend smiled for the mer and received multiple licks to his face, making him chuckle tiredly.

"Hey there, Cal. Did you behave for me?"

"Callem is good, Parker ow. Parker okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Walk with me?"

Callem nodded his head repeatedly, walking with his left hand clamped firmly in Parker's right one as he was carefully wheeled from the building and loaded into one of those armored trucks that were used to transport large sums of money.

Heh, good idea. Doubt the mers can break through the metal it's made of.

I began to follow them but was stopped when my left hand was grabbed. Mellac appeared at my side with a blank look on his pale face.

"What are y—" He began walking forward quickly, cutting off my question and forcing me to partially run to keep up. I had no idea why he was holding my hand or doing as told instead of snarling and screeching at the guards, but once we were settled inside the truck and the door was closed, cloaking us in nearly complete darkness, I couldn't help but notice the tiny little butterfly inside my belly struggling to fly as Mellac's arm gently wrapped around my waist and pulled me softly against his side.

# 22. We Make Our Own Waves

The ride back to the lab in the metal truck hadn't exactly been the most comfortable, but Mellac kept me from slamming into any of the walls during the rough parts, which was definitely appreciated. We stopped a few times, probably for lights, but pretty soon I could hear the backup beeping from the truck, meaning we were pulling into the docking area at the research facility. A minute later, I heard all the clasps for the unloading tunnel getting locked into place and carefully stood, stretching out my tight muscles.

"Mmm, they're gonna open the door soon. You guys ready?"

Callem gave a quiet whine where he sat near Parker, and I heard Mellac slowly getting to his feet right behind me.

Guess those are good enough answers
.

Several rays of light slipped into our container as workers unlatched the doors and let them swing open inside of the walkway. There was an opening between the top and the retractable hallway chute because this truck wasn't as big as a normal transfer one, but we weren't going to cause any problems by trying to climb out. I glanced to the side, noticing Callem already beginning to wheel Parker's gurney toward the opening. Turning a bit, I took in Mellac's expression and posture, noting that he obviously saw the hole between the transfer chute and the truck.

"Mellac?"

His cold green gaze lowered to mine slowly. Calculating. He was thinking about leaving, but if he did, it would likely spell the end of Callem's chances at freedom. Running my tongue uneasily along my lower lip, I slowly reached out and unfurled my fingers, offering him my hand.

"...Jayson."

Hurt. His voice was still harsh and deep, but just beneath the surface, when he had said my name...

"Let's go, Mellac. Just a few days left, then I'll take you guys back to the ocean where you belong."

An expression crossed his face that I couldn't quite read as I spoke, but before I was able to figure it out, my attention was refocused as Mellac stepped forward and took my hand gently in his. My lips curved into a smile, and I turned, walking next to him down the full length of the tunnel. Heavy doors were pushed into place as we passed key points, but neither of us bothered looking back.

Once in the small isolation room, I noticed that they had at least made a few changes to the tiny space. No, unfortunately it wasn't bigger, but there were two cots with blankets, one in the far left corner and the other in the right. The shift door was also secured open fully so we would only have to duck a little to get inside, though I doubt any of us would want to go into that cramped dark cage of a room.

Dinner was conveniently waiting for us, or at least for them. Several large, freshly caught mackerel were swimming around in the shallow pool. Callem was already in the water, splashing around with Parker squatting at the edge. The board my friend had previously been strapped to had been tossed in the corner, the leather restraints having been easily shredded by Callem's claws. Parker was smiling widely, eyes shining every time Callem splashed him on purpose. The mer was obviously only half-interested in actually catching any fish.

"Are you feeling okay, Park?"

He looked up, his damp black bangs swishing in front of his eyes.

"Hurt a lot but I'll be fine."

I wanted to sit down and talk about what had happened with him, and more importantly, apologize, but when I took a step closer, there was a sliding sound of metal against concrete, drawing everyone's attention to the small opening to the other room.

Oh, food for us.

"I'll get it."

Ducking beneath the door, I slid the first tray into the pool area, then took the second as it was pushed beneath the door, likely by Dr. Warren or a tech. Parker grabbed the first tray and sat down against the wall while I ducked back into the room with my own meal.

"Not bad considering we're technically prisoners."

Parker nodded as he shoved a big forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. Sitting down a few feet away, I began digging into my own chicken and mashed potato dinner while both mers worked on catching theirs in the water. Callem was the first to come up with a fish, dragging the poor gasping creature from the safety of the water. I had a slight flashback to Bubbles but swept that memory aside before the tears came.

He began to nibble at the fish after he got situated right up against Parker. It was kind of a funny image since he had to hug the huge fish in order to keep it still to get a good bite. I turned my attention back to Mellac when I heard him climb out of the water a minute later. Without a fish? He looked exhausted and... oh!

"Your arm."

He bared his teeth and flopped back against the wall on the other side of the pool, fuming at the ground as he rubbed his heel against the tiled floor. Without a word, since I knew he'd probably just grumble, I set my food aside and promptly scooted to the edge of the pool, then slipped in. The slight chill of the water woke me up a bit and sharpened my focus on the fish swimming in tight circles a few feet below. I'd never really fished without a trawl or cast net so it was no surprise that my first few tries to grab one ended humorously. With me getting slapped in the face by tail fins each time.

When I finally managed to grab one, I wrapped my arms around it tightly and kicked to the surface. Breaking through, I took in a deep breath and promptly threw the fish into the air as hard as I could. Well, it sailed about a foot away, but it was out of water and that's all that mattered. Except, the fish just flopped twice and splashed right back into the pool.

"Son of a—"

Pulling myself from the cold water, I flopped over onto my belly and huffed.

Darnit! I wanted to get Mellac some food as an apology for... I don't know. Everything that I'm sure I messed up.

A deep chuckle made me lift my head enough so that I could see—

He's laughing at me.

"What's so funny?"

"Hmhm. You, human."

"Hmph!"

Pushing myself up, I silently thanked the person who decided it was best to put us in the isolation area without sand in it. Sure the tile wasn't the best and it collected water in puddles, but at least it was tilted so most of it flowed back into the pool and of course, there was no sand to stick to my wet body as I scooted over toward the cot closest to me, grumbling as I went.

"Fine, I wasn't gonna give you the fish anyway."

"Oh you weren't?"

His amused voice irked me, but I didn't let it show as I tugged my wet shirt over my head and tossed it aside. My pants and boxers were quick to follow before I climbed beneath the thin blanket and yawned. I had no idea what time it was, but it felt extremely late after all the crap we'd gone through that day.

~Parker

Callem was trying so hard to eat like I was, with his mouth closed and smaller bites... kinda failing at it, but that was half the fun. After Jayson went to lie down Callem leaned closer and eyed the fork in my hand with interest.

"Parker, what that?"

I grinned at him, holding up the shiny metal object before poking his shoulder with it suddenly. He jumped, giving off his adorable seal-like bark before pouting like a child.

"It's okay, I was just playing with you. Look."

I poked myself with it a few times, then offered it to him.

"Want to use it for your fish?"

"Yes!"

He grabbed it awkwardly and poked his fish, but the scales easily fended off the poor eating utensil. His eyes narrowed as he poked it again but came up with the same result. I was just about to help him when he moved the fork to the portion he'd already bitten through and stabbed at a piece of the inner meat. This time, the fork easily took out a chunk of the soft flesh.

"Good job."

Callem shoved the big piece into his mouth, wiggling a bit like an excited dog before going back for more with the fork. He ate a few pounds before I took the opportunity of a pause and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his cheek. He immediately tossed his fish aside and tackled me to the floor with a playful "Arf!"

The sudden shove made my body ache, but I swallowed the pain. There was no way I'd let him know that he had hurt me when he was so happy for once. Well, he had a knack for being an easygoing mer in comparison to his brother, so I guess he was happy quite a bit, but now we didn't have to worry about being hunted down or hurt.

"We're safe here for a while," I said with a soft smile. They might not be able to use their tails much in the shallow pool, but at least they'd have somewhere to swim with the correct salinity and healthy fish to eat. Callem's chest already looked much better after his dip in the water earlier, too.

"Parker."

I smiled up at him as he leaned down and carefully scooped me up into his arms. He brought me over to the spare cot and sat down in the corner, leaning against the wall with my body tucked comfortably against his.

"Yeah, Cal?"

"Parker Callem's."

"Yes, sweetie."

He moved our bodies around until we were both lying atop the blanket on the small bed. I hummed with contentment, glad to be snugly held in his warm arms.

"Parker?"                                                

His eyes were already closed, making me think that he was beginning to drift off. It was kinda cute that he was still intent on talking when he was half asleep.

"Yes?"

"Callem... love... Parker."

My heartbeat rattled against my ribs, stealing my breath for a moment before I registered what he had just said. That hadn't been in those book cartridges. Where had he learned that word?

"Callem?"

A quiet calm breath rustled my hair as he breathed in and out steadily... asleep. My lips curved up into a small smile as I nuzzled against him a bit more before relaxing my body completely.

"Love you too, Cal."

~Jayson

I didn't remember falling asleep, but as my eyes opened to dim iridescent lights, I realized it was likely already morning.

"Mmmn..."

These cots definitely weren't my bed at home, but they weren't as bad as I'd thought they'd be, either. Probably because I usually ended up sleeping on the sofa during long experiments, which was more than I slept in my bed. Sitting up after a good stretch, I looked around and quickly noticed Callem curled up with Parker snug in his arms on the other cot. I thought a small seed of jealousy would make itself known in my belly, but to my relief, I was finally okay with it. I'd lost to a pretty extraordinary guy, merman or human, Callem definitely made Parker much happier than I could.

"You look upset."

The unspoken words to finish that sentence were clear.

'About how my brother stole the mate you really wanted.'

I sighed and looked over at Mellac. He was still leaning against the wall where he'd sat down last night. The fish Callem had eaten was next to him, mostly torn apart... but had there even been enough meat left on that one for Mellac to have a decent meal?

"Do you need some more food?"

"I will be fine, human."

My blood boiled as I scowled at him and got up.

"That's not what I asked, stupid."

His brows shot up, a sneer building on his features along with a hint of surprise.

"You dare call me stupid, human?"

"Yeah, because you're acting like an idiot. You obviously need more food to heal that injury, and you're too full of yourself to ask for it."

I thought he'd be pissed to the point of lashing out at my snarky comments, but instead he just laughed coldly and watched me walk toward the water.

"And you can catch me something to eat like you did yesterday, human?"

My gaze darted over to him before returning to the water, and more importantly, the fish swimming near the bottom.

Someone had something crawl up his butt this morning.

It was probably just the pain from his injury and stress of being cooped up for so long getting to him, though, so I shrugged it off and smirked.

"Yup. Time to catch some breakfast."

While I was feeling much better after that night's sleep, it still took me a good hour of diving before I was able to grab a fish and get back to the surface. This time, however, when I tossed it out, I quickly followed and pushed it to the far wall before finally sitting back to catch my breath. Mellac hadn't moved at all during the whole time I struggled with the fish, and I wondered if he was even going to eat it. He still looked annoyed, but that was just his normal expression so it was always hard to tell what he was really thinking.

Stupid PMS fish man.

Grabbing the dying mackerel, I staggered to my feet and walked over to Mellac before dropping back to my knees and offering the squirming thing.

"Useless human fish to Mellac."

I think I caught him off-guard because he coughed out a surprised laugh and actually took the fish... only to toss it aside and yank me into his lap.

"H-Hemmph?"

His lips silenced my stammering quite well, and I couldn't really find any reason to object as he began to carefully deepen the kiss.

This is nothing like his first try at kissing... was he thinking about this while I was gone?

I told my mind to stop thinking for the time being and just let myself enjoy the warm saltiness of his mouth and gentle caresses from such strong hands. We finally broke the kiss to catch our breath several minutes later. I noticed Mellac turn his head away and looked up... only to see his cheeks turning a very faint red?

"Ohmygodyou'reblushing!"

Okay, it probably wasn't the best idea to shout that but still. He was sooooo cute right then. The response I soon got wasn't exactly unexpected. He shoved me out of his lap and got up, stomping over to the shift door and ducking into the small room.

"Aw, hey. I'm sorry. Mellaaaac."

I got to my feet and ran after him, ignoring the fact that I was naked. Not like we hadn't seen plenty of naked male bodies with the mers running around, even though Mellac still had on the pair of shorts we gave him a while ago. Parker must have given Callem a new pair since I remembered seeing his in the bathroom when I called the cops and he was wearing dark blue ones now.

"Mellac, come on."

I ducked into the small room and was suddenly pinned down, my mouth covered for a second time. He was much rougher this go-around, but he didn't bite, and for that I was grateful. We kissed for a good ten minutes before I heard boots echoing in the lab just beyond the door to the cell we were in. Someone looked in, but I couldn't quite tell who. Then there was a knock on the door, making Mellac bristle slightly and back off of me with a hiss. I sat up quickly, gesturing to him that it was okay, before I called out to the person on the other side of the door.

"What's up?"

"Jayson?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sliding in a folder with some things you and Parker need to read tonight, okay?"

Hm? Sounds like Warren.

Before I had even answered, he had the little built-in door at the bottom of the main locked one flicked open and was pushing a small red folder through.

"Okay."

I grabbed the item and quickly ducked back into the pool area, glad to see that Parker was beginning to wake, even though Callem hadn't let him go just yet. The mer was too busy cleaning his face with his tongue. Kinda glad Mellac wasn't that affectionate honestly. I wasn't exactly the biggest dog person.

"Hey, Park, we've got some stuff to go over."

He nodded and nudged Callem until the mer let him sit up. I sat beside him so I could open the folder over both of our laps. Parker took the papers out and handed me half since it looked like two completed sets. He scanned the first page without much interest. I did the same with mine, not exactly finding anything we hadn't already heard. It was information about dealing with aggressive 'animals', hmph! However, when Parker got to the fourth page, he gasped and shoved his papers over the top of mine abruptly.

"Look! Look! Jay, look! Read this."

He was literally bouncing with excitement, making me immediately focus on where he was pointing.

"Due to the increasing negative publicity this case has brought the United States captive marine programs and facilities, we wish to offer an exchange."

I paused, glancing over at Parker who just pointed below where I was reading and squeaked for me to continue.

"Okay okay."

I looked back down and continued reading out loud.

"We wish to offer the two mermen Callem and Mellac freedom back to the ocean on the following conditions:

They both must be microchipped with our laboratory's tracking device. They must both understand that if they are caught or suspected of attacking humans again, they will be tracked down and brought in for questioning. Both brothers must also agree to work with the scientists Jayson Smith and Parker Ryans and allow for tissue collection and observation when requested at a maximum of no more than twice per month."

My voice trailed off toward the end as I sniffled, forcing back tears.

"They're... letting them... go." I stammered out as Parker shouted ecstatically and jumped into Callem's waiting arms. I wasn't sure if Callem knew exactly what was going on, but he shared in Parker's happiness all the same. When I looked up at Mellac, he appeared to be calm but I could tell by the way his whole body relaxed that he was relieved and maybe a little bit excited, too? Well, I was excited enough for the both of us so I did what any stupid human would and hopped up, ran over, and jumped right into his arms. He didn't spin like any normal person would, laughing happily with my own chuckles, but he did catch me even with his injured arm and wrap me up in a gentle but strong hug. I let my body relax against his and nuzzled into his neck, taking in a deep breath with the scent of saltwater mixed with a faint male musk.

"I'm so glad you get to go back home."

"As am I."

~Parker

I had situated myself in Callem's lap to finish going over the pages of the documents we'd been given. They stated that we still did indeed have our jobs but would be docked pay for the experiment we will be conducting with the mers, which was completely fine with me since I wouldn't really consider being with Callem any kind of work. Flipping to the last page, I grinned and grabbed the pen clipped there, then signed my name in nice big letters where it asked for it. Jayson joined me a minute later and did the same with his copy, then both of us stood and went into the smaller inside room to slide the folder back under the door with all the papers and pen inside.

"Come get the papers. We've signed them."

After a minute, footsteps sounded and I heard the folder being picked up and flipped through. After another minute, our supervisor's voice rang out from the other side of the isolation door.

"Very good. Transport will be ready tomorrow, please have them ready. We will wake you up early."

"Thank you," I cheered, noticing Jay grinning right along with me.

"One more thing, here are the microchips, both of them need to be chipped before leaving."

We both grabbed the two syringe-like plastic devices and moved back into the pool area. I went over to Callem while he walked up to Mellac, both brothers standing next to each other. Callem was smiling, but of course Mellac was just wearing his normal scowl.

"We're going to be leaving tomorrow so we just need to wait, but you guys need these shots before they'll allow us to let you go."

Neither brother seemed very happy, but when Mellac offered his shoulder, Jayson didn't hesitate to give him the odd shot. I could see Callem watching and smiled up at him when he turned his hesitant gaze to me.

"Just a little pinch, that's all."

He pursed his lips but turned to the side just like his brother had. I didn't let him fret about the shot and just did it, fast and quick, to get it over with. He yipped a little but calmed a moment later, relaxing back to his normal state after a glance at the faint red mark the shot had left.

"That's it. Good boy," I praised, glad that it hadn't been a big deal. Callem grinned and tugged me off to a corner, and we began to kiss a little, but I was listening in on Mellac and Jay's hushed conversation at the same time.

"Mellac."

"Huma—Jayson."

"I-I... if you, uh... still want to try."

There was no answer from Mellac, telling me that he was probably a little confused and waiting for Jayson to finish speaking.

"If you want to try dating... a little... i-it's what I told you before. The kissing... and having dinner together once in a while... then maybe... I can get used to the idea..."

I sneaked a glance at him and inwardly grinned at how embarrassingly awkward my best friend looked. He had a hold of Mellac's right pointer finger, eyes downcast as his foot nudged at a tile on the floor.

"I suppose. I am in need of your human ritual as well... to learn how to gain your trust."

There was a long pause, and my gaze darted up to Mellac's face just in time to see him give a shockingly beautiful smile.

"My temperament could use some help as well, I guess. Will you help me learn to control it some?"

"Y-Yeah."

Mellac lifted Jay up into his arms, ignoring his small injury in order to hug him closer. I figured they'd want to be left alone after that huge confession and what not, but Callem had other plans. The second Mellac set Jay down, the older mer was tackled into the pool. The two of them together had water splashing both Jay and I. At first, I thought they were fighting for some reason, but when Callem suddenly surfaced and barked, I lifted a brow, then glanced down at Mellac to see the older mer circling beneath him. It was a tight fit in the small area, but he was making it work, at least until he began to surface and grabbed his brother.

Callem yelped and went under but was quick to break free. Instead of climbing back to the surface, though, he just grabbed Mellac from behind and hung on as his brother tried to shake him off. After a minute of thrashing around underwater, Mellac surfaced and leaned on his arms over the edge of the pool, panting quietly.

"Human, take your mate off my back."

Callem whined like a puppy and licked his brother's cheek a few times before I squatted down beside them and extended a hand.

"Come on, Cal."

He looked up at me and pouted, but reached out anyway. I smiled as I grasped his hand in mine, except when I tried to help pull him out of the water he instead yanked my hand, hard, and sent me flying into the pool.

"Woah!"

I was suddenly at the bottom in Callem's arms. My gaze traveled up to the surface for a moment, noting that Mellac had climbed out of the pool, but then returned back to Callem as I struggled a little to get free. I was just beginning to think that he had forgotten that I couldn't breathe underwater when he gently leaned forward and pressed our lips together.

Oh!

With an eager excitement, I quickly opened my mouth and took in a deep, clean breath of air from him. I had been the one who'd forgotten that he could help me breathe underwater. We stayed there quietly for a few minutes, just enjoying the private time away from the other two and the cameras in the upper corners of the room before he slowly brought me back toward the surface. As we climbed out of the water, we could both hear quiet talking behind us. When I was finally back on my feet, Jayson spoke.

"They left something in the small room for Callem to use."

I was a bit confused but gestured for Callem to stay while I went and got the box, then returned to sit against the wall where he now sat.

"I told them that he really liked that learning thing you got him so I guess they figured they would give it to him. On the other hand, I suspect they just want to see how he learns, but eh, it's a free iPad."

My lips twitched up into a smirk as I unboxed the device and turned it on. When the main screen loaded up, I had to chuckle, seeing all of the apps the scientists had already put on it.

"Want to learn some more stuff, Callem?"

"
Yes
."

He took the device from me and put it in his lap. His shorts were still soaked from the pool, but the iPad had a case on it so it shouldn't be a problem. While I had honestly thought he would only want to play with the device for a few hours, we ended up going through about ten different apps, finishing each one with little issue. The further he actually got into the language, the less mistakes he made.

"I can't believe how well you're doing."

He set the device aside and tugged me into his lap for some licks, kisses, then one long hug.

"Callem loves Parker and want to learn for him for understand."

I grinned and licked his cheek.

"Parker loves that Callem wants to learn for him."

He barked happily and squeezed me a bit harder before moving my body so that my back was against his chest, then put the iPad on my lap.

"Parker play with Callem the games?"

I tilted my head back and stuck my tongue out at him teasingly.

"Yes, please."

Callem took me by surprise and leaned down, nipping at my tongue with a smirk before moving his hands from my waist, where I had totally not noticed they'd migrated to, and tapped at the touch screen to start one of the games. They were all pretty simple since they had been designed for children, but I made sure not to get too far ahead of him, and oh man, did he appreciate that. He got more and more excited as time passed, and boy did it. By the time we finally finished the last round of a syllable game, I was beginning to nod off, literally. My head dipped every few seconds before I forced it back up to try to stay awake. After the first few times, Callem set the iPad aside and leaned over so he could press a soft kiss to my cheek.

"Are you tired, Parker? Want to go to sleep?"

Having him talk in complete, correct sentences was surprising but also humbling. It felt like he was growing up, and I got to watch all of it happen right before my eyes. Tilting my head a little, I smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips before nodding.

"Yeah. We've gotta get up early tomorrow so some sleep is probably a good idea."

He nodded and carefully moved until we were both lying down, and of course, I was snuggled in his strong arms after the blanket had been tugged loosely over our bodies.

"Good night, Parker. I love you."

I nuzzled against his chest and sighed sleepily.

"Mmn, I love you too, Callem. Good night."

The next morning, I awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs. When my eyes opened, there was a plate a few inches from my nose with the delicious smelling food piled atop it. While it definitely looked like it was cheaply made, my stomach didn't give a care as it rumbled hungrily.

"Mm, Cal? Can I sit up please?"

I felt his arms tug me closer and chuckled, turning my body until I managed to face him.

"I can't?"

Big violet and blue eyes met mine as he shook his head on the cot, then tucked his face into my neck for some licks.

"Haha, but I'm hungry, sweetie."

"Is okay. Callem eat Parker, then Parker eat Callem."

My face burned with embarrassment as he spoke against my skin. He probably had no idea what that actually meant.

"Uh, um, as nice as that sounds, I really need the food they gave me."

He pouted but thankfully let me go. I got myself into a sitting position and crossed my legs, setting the plate down on them as I ate with the fork they'd provided with one hand while my other softly sifted through Callem's hair.

"We're going to be leaving soon. I heard the truck backing up a few minutes before you woke up."

I gave Jayson a nod when I registered his voice and watched as he walked over with a pair of black shorts in his hand. That's also when I noticed that he was wearing a similar pair. Guess they wanted some decency when they released us and figured we wouldn't want to put our old soaked clothes back on. With a small smile, I took the shorts and set my empty plate aside, then got up and tugged them on. Callem leaned up right after I'd finished and nudged his nose against the fabric with a disapproving look.

"Haha, sorry, Cal. I know you probably preferred me without them."

He looked up at my eyes and then back down to the shorts.

"Yes."

Shaking my head, I grinned and grabbed his hand, helping him to his feet right as I heard the doors to the loading chute begin to open up. He squeezed my hand in his own and smiled, taking that first important step toward true freedom as Mellac and Jay did the same only a few feet ahead of us.

"Hm? Guess they're actually going to let us drive out of here ourselves."

Jay's words had me peeking around them, my eyes widening in surprise to see my truck waiting for us at the end of the tunnel, the vehicle backed up just enough so that we could jump down into the uncovered bed.

Oliver must have brought it.

Mellac and Jay went first, and we quickly followed. Both of them decided to stay in the back for the drive so Callem sat in the passenger's seat while I slid behind the wheel. Taking a deep breath, I placed both of my hands on the warm black leather of the steering wheel but didn't realize they were shaking until Callem's left hand gently pressed over the top of my right one. When I looked at him, he was all smiles, making me grin and slowly calming my nerves.

"Alright, let's get this last show on the road, hm?"

"
Arf.
"

The strong scent of saltwater and the feeling of fresh sand beneath my toes felt like heaven to my senses as we climbed out of the truck straight onto the damp sand near the surf. A whole section of beach had been roped off and people ushered away just like any other classified marine release. It was actually appreciated since this wasn't a normal release and these two men were definitely not animals. They were amazing and smart, handsome, and sweet.

I had to blink back tears as Callem stepped out of his shorts and waded waist-deep into the cold ocean water. When it began to lap at his lower chest, he turned and reached out a hand for me. My feet moved of their own accord, taking me into the churning surf without a second thought until I found myself in his strong arms. He easily lifted me up so that my legs could wrap around his waist and our lips could crash together just like the waves around us. I would miss him so badly, even if we were going to see them often because of our job, and hell, no one would be able to keep me from being here almost every single day... but it wouldn't be the same.

I faintly noticed Mellac and Jayson wrapped in each other's arms a few yards to my left, but I let them have their peace just like they were allowing us ours. When our kiss finally broke, I chuckled, but the sound was swallowed up by the churning water wrapping around us.

"I'm so glad I found you that day, Callem."

"I am very glad as well. You saved my life and taught me so much."

I sniffled but smiled, a blush spreading from my cheeks back to my ears.

"You are amazing, and I cannot wait to learn more and more from you, Parker."

All of a sudden the floodgates opened, and I began to bawl like a darn child into his shoulder. It definitely wasn't manly by any means, but Callem still held me with all the love he had to give.

"I love you, Callem."

A faint kiss brushed against my neck, right where he had bitten to claim me as his in what seemed like such a long time ago.

"I love you, too, Parker."

"Park! We've gotta go in. It's getting ready to storm."

Jayson's voice snapped us out of our moment, making me smile as Callem carefully let me slip back down into the water.

"He's right. It can get danger for Parker here."

I chuckled a little at his mistake but knew he'd likely have better grammar than me with just a few more simple lessons.

"Okay. I promise I'll come visit you soon."

He nodded and smiled sadly, then gently nudged me into a wave, which pushed me toward shore.

"B-Bye, Callem. Enjoy being home."

He began swimming backward, body bobbing with the swelling waves until he did a small slow backflip, soft gray tail flicking out of the water once before disappearing smoothly beneath the waves.

"Hey Park, grab two sodas while you're in there?"

I heard Jay's shout and quickly stopped the fridge from shutting so I could get the drinks. I'd come back for some ketchup for my fries that Jay had forgotten, since he didn't normally use it, but right as I was reaching for the last two root beers, I heard a small thunk come from just outside the front door and paused midreach.

"Huh?"

Letting the fridge door shut, I set the ketchup on the counter and walked over to look out of the peephole.

"Nothing?"

Grabbing the handle, I turned the lock and carefully opened the door to peek out. I saw a faint outline of someone standing in the rain back by the apple tree in the yard, but then a movement near the doormat caught my attention and I glanced down to see Callem's worried gaze staring up at me, a medium-sized silver fish wrapped up in his arms.

"C-Callem? Why aren't you back home?"

I remembered having told him how to find our house last night while we were working on the iPad, in case he needed us, but I didn't think he'd be here already. Judging from the features I could make out from the person over by the tree, too, I felt sure Mellac had followed. My mind immediately thought something was wrong, but when I opened my mouth to speak, Callem quietly did so, making me pause so I could hear.

"Callem fish to Parker. Parker home to Callem."

-End 

  
https://www.wattpad.com/72457973-beneath-the-lies-and-so-it-begins-again

Tips always appreciated :) 
paypal.me/TheoryKierei

# Restricted Chapters

(I didn't plan on putting these up cause I'm not much for R rated stuff, but since I got so many PMs about them, I'll return them for a little bit at least. Not edited.) 

Awww, could he have been any cuter?

My belly warmed as I reached down, helping him to his feet as he held the fish tucked beneath his right arm. We headed inside towards the kitchen but I left the door open since Mellac had been standing in the yard. The guy was a sourpuss but I had a feeling he would be wanting to come inside or at least...

"Jay! Someone's at the door for you!"

Callem and I were already in the kitchen when I heard Jayson run from his bedroom, where he had been changing into some flannel pajama pants, to the door. At first I didn't hear anything after his quiet gasp, but then the faint rustling of someone walking through grass caught my ear.

"Parker?"

Bringing my attention back to Callem, I smiled and set the fish down on the cuttingboard I left out for preparing dinner when I had to cook.

"Hey Jay?"

He walked into the kitchen with a smile of his own, Mellac nonchalantly sauntering towards the living room behind him.

"Can you cook the fish? It's the one thing I'm just no good at."

"Heh, I remember when you tried that one time...worst idea to let you touch that salmon."

I deadpanned at him and grabbed Callem's wrist, tugging him past Jayson.

"Good, you're making dinner. Enjoy."

He didn't seem to care at first, but then I heard a shout from the kitchen;

"THIS IS A WHOLE FISH!"

No shit, Sherlock!

Snickering, I quickly pulled Callem into my bedroom and shut, then locked the door. Not a moment later the handle was jiggling.

"Damnit Park, you can't expect me to filet that whole thing!"

"You've got Mellac, I'm sure he can help."

Jay grumbled but stomped away when he realized that I wasn't going to unlock the door. Nope, he'd started it with digging up that traumatically burnt salmon mess-up, tonight's dinner was all on him!

"Parker?"

Callem's intrigued voice made me turn around and face him. I noticed he had climbed onto my bed and was pawing at it playfully like a cat. It wasn't exactly a water bed but it was a type of memory foam that sunk a little when you got on it.

"Parker what this?"

He flopped down, then began rolling on his back all over my freshly cleaned comforter!

Gah! Could have at least had a shower! He was covered in sea water and sand!

I couldn't be mad at him though, especially since he looked pretty darn hot with his hair splayed out against my blankets, body completely naked. He noticed my lack of an answer to his question fairly quickly and sat up, breaking the spell his body had put on me.

"Wh-Wha?"

"Parker d...des...racted?"

He got on his hands and knees and crawled to the edge of my bed.

"I-I n-no, I'm not distracted."

Keep telling yourself that.

"Okay! Callem love Parker!"

That made me chuckle as I plopped down next to him, wrapping my right arm around his shoulders. 

"I love you too, Cal. I'm actually really glad you came back tonight." 

He gave a quiet arf and nuzzled his nose against my neck. I didn't hesitate to relax and soon found myself with my back against the soft blankets and Callem shifting over me. His was leaning on his bent left arm, chest against my right side and right arm slung loosely over my body for balance.

"Mmm, that feels good."

Callem gave a quiet whine and began licking up my neck until he reached my lips. The kiss was absolutely welcome! I even wrapped my arms around his neck to help encourage him. His tongue wasn't hesitant at all as it pressed through my slightly parted lips and began to play with my own. His right hand slowly began to run down my chest, then torso before slipping beneath the fabric of my shirt and heading back up. His claws were just-barely touching my skin as they began to run downwards again, making me arch against them with curious excitement.

I was so into all the touching and kissing that when he suddenly stopped both and leaned back just enough to part our lips, I groaned and looked up at him with glazed eyes.

"What's wrong...Callem?"

His breathtaking smile made me want to pull him right back down to continue our make-out session, but then he began to speak...

"Callem love Parker." 

"I love you too, Cal." 

He seemed a bit frustrated at my response, making me confused. 

"Callem?" 

His eyes looked down at my chest as he fought with himself mentally, obviously trying to figure something out. When he finally seemed to he looked back up and met my eyes. 

"Can Callem love Parker?" 

"Huh? O-Of course..."

I wasn't really sure what he was trying to get at but when his face lit up I honestly would have let him do anything if it made him that happy! Except, he suddenly stood up and grabbed the hem of my shirt and yanked it up and over my head!

Okay...that was a bit random but I didn't mind having my shirt off. Definitely wasn't ashamed of my body.

I pushed myself up so I could begin to scoot backwards, making it so that my legs weren't hanging over the edge any longer. Only, Callem stopped me by gently grabbing one of my beltloops and whining.

"What's up, Cal?"

"Callem want to love Parker..."

He tugged at the beltloop a little, then looked me in the eyes. I was seriously confused for another minute before realization dawned on me and I blushed right down to my toes!

"U-U-Uh..."

He gave another, slightly louder cry before dropping down onto his arms and "Gah!"

His face was nuzzling into my crotch!!!

"C-C-Callem?!"

Those familiar dark blue and violet eyes I loved so much rose to meet mine once more, a silent question in them that I think I had already mistakenly answered.

He wanted to love me...make love...

"Parker...no want...Callem love...?"

His voice got quieter and quieter as he spoke, the obvious hesitation and discomfort at the forefront. Now I felt like an ass. Pursing my lips, then licking them, I sat up and pressed a kiss to his cheek as he pushed himself back up a little. I was just opening my mouth to apologize, but nnnn. Those puppy-dog eyes have been my downfall since the first time I saw them!

Hell, so much so that I actually found my hands wandering into my lap and undoing the button and zipper on my pants! When he noticed what I was doing Callem immediately perked up, barking once before nudging my fingers away so he could bury his face between my legs again!

"C-Callem?!"

Come on!

He took a deep breath in, turning my red face much closer to that of a cherry color as the gills along his neck and torso flared, then flattened on the exhale. Callem repeated the action several times before he lifted his head, the look in his eyes making my breath catch in my throat. 

"Off."

O-Off??

"Parker off."

He leaned back down and grasped the hem of my boxers with his teeth and tugged. I felt a bit bad as I leaned forward and smiled.

"Can you tell me in a full sentence?"

This definitely wasn't the time for an english lesson but I couldn't help myself! It was so cool to be able to talk to him that my stress from this situation wasn't weighing on my shoulders as heavily as it had a few moments prior. Callem pursed his lips and stood up, definitely already deep in thought. It was so cute to see him being so serious!

"Parker..."

I waited for him to finish but he went back to thinking until another minute past and he looked back down at me.

"Can Callem...o-off Parker......pa...pands?"

Okay, I couldn't help but chuckle at what he said but eh, it was good enough. I gave him a smile and a nod, my belly warming as his own smile returned in full force! He cheered with a bark and grabbed my pants down by my ankles, then yanked. It honestly surprised me when my pants went flying off! He didn't stop there though. Callem didn't hesitate to do the same with my boxers, though it took him a few extra seconds to get those off.

I immediately found myself curling up near the head of the bed, embarrassed even though I normally had no shame in what I looked like. But come on! Callem was a god and I was just, well, me!

"Parker?"

He climbed into my bed, crawling over to me on hands and knees with a questioning look on his face.

"Are Parker okay? Callem no hurt?" 

I shook my head, forcing myself to uncurl a little. His smile returned as he leaned over and licked my cheek, then nuzzled against my neck again for another deep breath.

"What are you doing, Cal?"

"Parker smell good...want mate my love."

I thought he'd just try to line his hips up with mine and get busy with said mating, but he actually leaned back a little and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek.

"Parker body nice. Callem love Parker."

My smile quirked up a tiny bit and I nuzzled my nose against his, relaxing enough to stretch my body out some.

"Thank you, that means a lot."

"Callem love all Parker!" 

His eyes roved over my skin before his right hand followed the track his eyes had taken, from my shoulder straight along my left side, stopping at my backside to squeeze gently. Heat had flared the whole way along the trail Callem's hand had taken, making me yearn for the simple touch to happen again.

"Callem..."

I felt his right hand slowly move until it was grasping my waist, then it began to gently push until I was once again laying on my back. It was extremely embarrassing having him able to see all of me but I swallowed my pride, or lack-there-of, and leaned up to kiss his nose.

"I-I hope you like what you see..."

"Love all Parker. Parker all Callem want."

He shifted until he was on his hands and knees overtop me, then slowly lowered himself down. I was extremely surprised at how gentle he was being compared to what had happened last time. There was no hiding his arousal though, because it was already pressing rather firmly against my belly!His left hand slid down my right side, grasping here and there and eliciting several shivers at each stop until it found its way beneath my backside. This time, however, he didn't stop with just grabbing there. Nope. That hand was soon joining his other one as it slid up to my waist, claws digging in just enough to force a moan from between my lips.

"Callem will love Parker good."

A lot of things ran through my mind as he began to nudge himself between the cheeks of my backside, trying to find the obvious hole that beckoned to him. He had come such a long way from when he'd first tried to mate with me in the lab. At that time he didn't even understand how things worked...which leads me to question how he figured it out.

Probably Mellac. Yeah. Definitely likely that Mellac told him exactly how it needed to happen so it would work.

An abrupt shot of pain snapped me back to reality.

I see someone found my--

"Nnnn!"

He was suddenly getting a little to into it, and me! Sure I liked it rough sometimes but he wasn't even giving me a second to get used to his size! And damn did he have some serious size on him!

"C-Callem!"

The foreceful thrusting stopped abruptly, allowing me to finally begin relaxing myself and open my eyes.

Woah...

Callem's eyes were dark dark blue, the purple color they previously held completely eaten away. His whole body was firm and moving slightly with each breath he took in and blew out, from his shoulders right down to where we were now tightly connected. Even his gills were flaring with his breathing, making him look like something truly from a surreal fantasy.

"I-It hurts a little...can you go a little slower, please?"

His eyes narrowed as he processed what I was saying but as he leaned down again I fidgeted, unsure if he understood. However, when he began his motions again I sighed out a breath of relief and pleasure when he did indeed slow down some. It wasn't as much as I'd wanted but it was definitely good enough.

I let him do as he pleased for a few minutes before slowly beginning to move my hips against his. At first we were a bit awkward with him trying to move one way while I did the opposite, but after a moment we had our timing down to where I would thrust my hips up while he pushed down and forward, making both of us begin to moan in unison each time our hot skin crashed together. Our arms were tightly wound around each other as things got more and more heated, my legs soon joining in on the idea as I wrapped them around his well-muscled waist.

"Hey Park! Dinner's ready!"

Neither of us really heard him until he came and actually knocked on the door...but that ended up being a very bad idea. Callem pushed himself up with his arms and gave the loudest, most-threatening snarl I'd ever heard from him. It sounded close to a mix between a lion's roar and an eagle's screech! I could only watch as his gills opened and closed, aiding the sound dramatically. Although, not a second later we both heard Jayson's feet tripping over themselves to get away from my room.

"Wow..."

Hearing my voice, Callem jerked himself back down, continuing without an ounce of hesitation. The interruption did, however, steal some of his attention. I caught him glancing towards the door and growling several times in between our kisses. It got to a point where all he was doing, while doing me, was watching the door and baring his teeth. Not that I didn't love the possessive side of him, it was absolutely hot as hell, but I wanted my lover giving me attention, especially when we were so close to finishing!

Reaching up with my left hand, I twined my fingers into his hair and tugged his head back down so that our mouths connected once more. Then I let my right hand drift down his solid, sweaty body and softly ran my fingers over his larger set of gills. The second I touched them they closed up, but then flared open a little at the exact same time he whined out a moan. His hips also responded, getting rougher with their thrusts until I was beginning to see stars.

"Mmm, c-close...C-Callem..."

I admired his stamina as he found my sweet spot seconds later, making my body rut against his, hungry for the intense pleasure again. He figured out what I was asking for right away and situated himself better, hitting that spot repeatedly as I felt myself beginning to leak badly. Callem started sniffing the air as we kissed, stealing little breaths as he worked me further and further up. I thought that when I began to come he'd stop and join me, but his body only sped up, hitting that deliciously pleasurable spot harder as heat poured out of him and into me.

Both of us road the high of our orgasms for just over a minute, kissing and moaning the entire way. When we finally separated our mouths to take in panting breaths I felt him slowly pull out of me and then lay down beside me. My eyes couldn't help but rove over his gorgeous body and stop at his dripping length.

Oh damn, no wonder Mellac thought ice cream was mating fluid. That's seriously thick...

"Parkerrr."

Raising my eyes to his, I felt my heart melt at the pleading look he was now giving me.

"Yes, Callem?"

He whined and poked my chest a few times, then rubbed his cheek against the blankets.

"Um...do you uh...want a hug?"

Callem didn't seem very sure about that, but then I guess he figured out that he'd just show me because he reached over and grabbed my body, tugging it tightly against his own so that my back was pressed against his chest firmly.

"Callem want Parker close."

"Haha, you're such a sweetie."

He lapped between my shoulder-blades for a moment before tugging me even closer and...eh?

~~ ~  ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Mmm, I love that song..."

~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~~~ ~  ~ ~

Turning gently in his arms, I let my body relax once we were facing each other and calmly watched as he sang for me and only me. Everything about Callem was amazing. We may not be able to communicate perfectly and we might have different views on how things would generally happen, but he was still the sweetest man I had ever met and....and...

I really want to sing for him too.

That idea was a bit harder than I thought but after a few minutes of trying I managed to sync my soft whistle with his own quiet song. It was a hauntingly beautiful duet that I never wanted to end.

~~  '' ~ ' ' ~ ~ ~' ~ ~ ~ ' ' ~~ ~ '' ' ~ ~ ~~  '''' ~ ~ ~ ~ '' '  ' ~ ~ ' ' ~ ' ~ ''

Chapter 2 (Final Chapter)

Maybe He Can Learn to Love

"Um...Mellac? I got it from here, you can go sit down."

I knew he wasn't really paying much attention to what I was saying considering how heavy he was breathing and the obvious tent in his shorts. Yes, I'd made him put some on when Parker went back to his room with Callem. And yes, I knew exactly what was likely to happen though I have a feeling Parker didn't for the first few moments. Darn guy was so oblivious sometimes.

My thoughts were sidetracked when I felt a rough lick against my cheek. I glared over my shoulder at Mellac but he obviously didn't care as he leaned over again and licked my ear!

"Really? I'm trying to cook!"

I wiped at my ear and face but he just began to nuzzle my neck afterwards!

"Man, come on. Go sit down."

His hands found their way to my waist, latching on with little effort.

Okay, not cool.

"Mellac."

"...outside."

"Huh?"

He lifted his head a little and grabbed my right earlobe between his teeth, then tugged softly before replying.

"Wanna mate...you said must go out before mate. Let's go out."

Heat immediately flared throughout my face, turning my cheeks and ears red. I knew he was turned-on by Parker and Callem getting busy in the other room, but that didn't mean we had to get busy to! Besides, I was 'busy' enough cooking dinner! 

"A-Another time..." 

The fish finished cooking while I spoke so I carefully set it off of the burner  and looked back at him. 

"Mellac, let me go." 

"Nnn...nooo..."

Grrr, come oooon.

"Don't you go all Callem on me." 

He chuckled at that, the vibrations swimming through my body from where he was nuzzling against the nook of my neck.

"I don't know. It seems to have worked well with your friend..."

My lips pursed and I fidgeted, knowing that he was right. Especially judging from the sounds we could still hear...most of which were from Parker. It really sucked that the first guy I actually liked was now getting screwed by a different damn species! Nothing against Callem, but come on!

"I'm not Parker."

Before he could really respond I shoved my way out of his grasp and walked towards Parker's room. Sure I could hear them humping like rabbits but I was rather annoyed so they could just deal with my interrupting. With a cocky grin I stopped in the hallway and called out to them that dinner was ready...but before I could even finish my sentence Callem was fucking snarling and screeching at the door! 

Er. Geez!

That plan kinda failed, and ew, I can hear Callem picking up speed.

With a slightly-disgusted face I turned around and headed back into the kitchen. Mellac was waiting there, as expected, with a stupid grin on his annoying face.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up."

Time to sulk and eat fish. Hmph!

Grabbing down two plates, I dished out two large fillets onto them, then added some mashed potatoes I'd made in a pot on one of the back burners. Without really looking up I shoved the plate into Mellac's chest, waiting a second for him to grab it before I sauntered drearily into the living room and plopped down on my beer-stained sofa. 
Mellac dropped down besides me, too close for comfort but eh, whatever. He likely wouldn't listen even if I told him to scoot away. Instead, I began shoveling food into my mouth, not really paying attention to the news quietly mumbling on the television. 

I finished my fish and got up, noticing out of the corner of my eye that Mellac was still working on his.

"There's an extra piece on the plate besides the stove if you want it."

I didn't wait for a response as I sauntered into the kitchen and set my plate in the sink, then got down a bowl and went to the freezer.

Mmm, definitely need some ice cream.

Fishing out the mint chocolate chip, I tossed it on the counter but when I opened it, my brows furrowed.

Ah, I forgot I'd eaten most of it already.

Deciding to forego the bowl, I just grabbed a spoon and walked back into the living to drop into the recliner. Nope, wasn't feeling very touchy-feely right now and there was no room for Mellac to sidle up next to me now.

Time for some deliciousness!

I scooped out a big spoonful of ice cream and put it in my mouth, sliding the ice cream off with my lips before pulling the clean spoon out moments later.

"Mmmm!"

Nothing was better than mint chocolate chip ice cream when you were feeling down! And amen, Parker had finally stopped moaning every other second! I was just about to put another spoonful in my mouth when I noticed Mellac eyeing me without hesitation. Well, eyeing the container of ice cream. Glancing back down at the container, I scooped out some more ice cream and when I looked up at him I nearly dropped the damned spoon. He was practically right in my face! 

I hadn't heard the darn mer move but somehow he was leaning over the edge of the sofa and had one hand on the armrest of my chair!

"Um?"

His nose was flaring, eyes completely glued onto the spoon of now-melting ice cream.

"This is mine...there isn't enough for two people."

No, I didn't share my ice cream!

Grumbling to myself, I took the bite off the spoon and let my tongue roll the delicious cold dessert around on my tongue before swallowing. He watched like a hawk as I got another spoonful. Now it was basically melted into goo but I still was going to clean the entire container, because you just didn't waste ice cream! I leaned forward to get the new bite of ice cream when Mellac was suddenly there! Or, well, at least his mouth was! Bastard took my spoonful of heaven!

"H-Hey!"

When he leaned back the spoon was completely free of ice cream, making me glare.

"That was mineee."

After he'd swallowed Mellac licked his lips, then smirked.

"Don't go all Callem on me."

Oh you bastard...stealing my line! And my ice cream!

Wait a second...

Looking down, I realized something extremely important was missing. And no, it wasn't my shirt. I had taken that off on purpose while cooking because our kitchen got pretty hot with more than one burner on at a time. My eyes darted over to Mellac.

"HEY! THAT'S MINE DAMMIT!" 

I tackled the darn mer who was literally shoveling my melted ice cream into his mouth! Unfortunately the tackle didn't work very well because he just reached out and shoved me down onto my back with one hand! 

"Mellac! Come on! That's mine!" 

Yeah, I knew I sounded like a little kid but that was my ice creaaaam!

When he finally looked over at me I scowled, trying to shove his arm away but barely managing to move it. It really sucked that he was so much stronger!

"Please? I'm really stressed and that's all that makes me happy right now."

It was honestly the truth. Having my first male love get banged in the other room really had me feeling like shit. Mellac paused in drinking the remainder of my ice cream as I finished speaking and returned his attention completely to me. He extended the carton to me and replied.

"Want my fluid?"

"....wha?"

He shook the container and I could hear what little liquefied ice cream that remained splash against the sides.

"Want?"

I hesitantly nodded, licking my lips in anticipation. Except, when he upended the container right above me I squeaked in surprise! It definitely wasn't above my face, where I'd think he would let it drip down to if he actually meant to get it in my mouth at all! Instead, I had to sit up abruptly to keep half of it from going down my chest! Because the other half already had and damn, it may be melted but it was still cold! At least he left me enough to actually enjoy. He even released the container once I reached up to grab it, allowing me to empty the last of it. I was so into savoring the last little bit of my treat that I hadn't noticed Mellac leaning over until I felt his rough tongue run a line from my naval to my nippl--"Hnn?!"

The empty ice cream container dropped to the floor as I fell back, Mellac's left hand locking my right arm to the armrest as his other one grabbed my waist. That wasn't really the issue here though. The licking was!

"M-Mellac, stop!"

His eyes glanced up, and by god, Callem had taught him the puppy-dog eyes!!! Nooooo!!

"I'm just cleaning up my mate......I-I can't?"

Oh god don't you dare play that card! You aren't Callem! I know you know what you're doing! You're evil and crazy and nnnnn, that tongueee....

He easily cleaned off my lower abdomen of what had dribbled down from my upper chest but as he moved up he began to slow down, running his tongue in little circles here and there, only giving me a break when he pulled it back between his lips to remove the ice cream from it.

"Y-You're teasing me."

He had never stopped looking at me so when I saw a twinkle in his dark eyes I knew the answer right away. I wasn't one to be made fun of though, especially after a certain mer-buttface had eaten most of my ice cream. I was just opening my mouth to tell him to get off when he suddenly latched onto my left nipple and forced a loud cry from my lips.

Mellac perked up immediately, eyes going wide with excitement and curiosity.

"Like?"

I shook my head quickly, growling as I clenched my teeth together to emphasize my point. He pouted but dropped his eyes back down to my reddening skin, nudging it with his nose after a moment. 

"Not like?" 

He licked at it again, making me unable to resist shaking slightly as a shiver ran down my spine...then right back up! Before I could even respond again he latched down on my sore nipple and tugged, hard.

"N-Nnn!"

My back arched of its own accord, pressing our chests together and inciting a rather loud, and don't tell anyone I ever said this or I'll kill you, sexy, growl from Mellac.

"I think you like it."

I think I'm bleeding.

"Nn, get...off..."

I thought he might just listen for once, but of course, no such luck. In fact, he latched onto my other nipple and yanked, snarling as he stretched and tore at my sensitive skin!

"Mm!"

He soothed his tongue along the wound he'd just created then lifted me up in his arms.

"Where...are we going?"

His attention was so focused on what he was doing that I don't think he even heard me...but uh, I managed to figure it out the answer pretty quickly as he opened the sliding glass door to the lanai, then headed for the patio door and opened that to.

Oh god. He was taking me 'out'...

"Mella--ah!"

I was suddenly dropped, thankfully into the muddy grass, keeping me from getting hurt but when I blinked my eyes back open and saw Mellac's dark figure looming over me, stripping off his shirt and quickly turning to his shorts, I flinched and pushed myself up, fingers sinking into the soggy grass. It was drizzling a little which actually felt pretty nice, but he wasn't seriously considering doing me out here?! 

My answer swiftly came as he dropped to his knees, splashing mud and water on my chest and legs. When he leaned forward I could've sworn I was going to shove him away, but when I saw the faint moonlight reflect off his features, my breath caught in my throat. 

"I took you outside..." 

He leaned down further, pressing his lips to mine in a fleeting kiss. 

"I kiss you much..." 

My heart hammered against my ribs as he took my lower lip between his teeth and gently tugged with a quiet growl that was almost swallowed up by the loud thrumming of crickets and frog songs surrounding us.

"Let me love my mate."

I bit my lower lip, hard, but couldn't really find words to answer him. So he took it upon himself to keep speaking...and the question made me incredibly embarrassed! 

"Have you not mated with another male before?" 

"I-I-I..."

I heard a deep purr rumble from his chest before he was suddenly kissing me like crazy! My senses were already overwhelmed laying in the mud and grass with the nightlife amplified around us so when he began to slide his hands into my shorts I couldn't really find it in me to try and stop him. He ran his hands over my backside, smearing cold mud along my heated skin, but even the chill that gave me didn't seem to cool my body. In fact, my arms reached up and tried to lock around his shoulders. The damn mud made it impossible to get a solid grip, making my nails just drag along his firm muscle, but judging from the growls and the way he tore at my clothes while I was doing it made me think that he liked it.

...or he's just that horny. Yeah, probably just that---how the hell did he get my shorts and boxers shredded so fast?! 

There was suddenly something very big and very not-wanted nudging somewhere it shouldn't be seconds after my former realization, making me yelp and try to scoot backwards. I propped myself up on my elbows and regretted it immediately, cause god, did he always have such a big...thing? My eyes had finally adjusted enough to see somewhat in the darkness, and of course, I had to see 'it'.

"Shhh."

My eyes jerked up to meet his, though they just looked like dark pools of shifting water in the darkness. I wasn't sure how he knew I was about to talk, or freak out, but I kept my mouth shut and let him gently run his hands up along my body, skimming over my waist and up to my mid-torso.

My attention refocused because he was suddenly turning my body over until I was kneeling on my hands and knees and he was leaning over me with his chest pressed against my back. I would be lying if I said I wasn't turned-on but I was still extremely weary of the object Mellac was beginning to rub against me again.

"I'll be careful..."

He nuzzled his right cheek against my left one, purring as his hips gave a few sharp jerks. I felt my own body jerk with the motion until he managed to slide himself between my cheeks and nudge my opening.

That's not going to fiiiiit!

I tried to get up and in-turn, push him off, but he just tensed-up his muscles and held me firmly in place as he started rubbing his hips against me.

"M-Mellac m-maybe we should w-wait..."

The only thing I heard from him after I finished speaking were the quiet grunts that followed each of his thrusts but what he did say a few moments later actually surprised me.

"If you don't like it once I'm inside for a minute, I'll stop."

I felt my arms shake with the stress of the situation but Mellac was actually giving me an out if I didn't want to do it...all he was asking in return was a chance to let him try.

"O-Okay..."

As soon as I said those words I expected him to start making the best of his one minute, but he actually loosened his grip on my body a little and began kissing my shoulder.

Where is the aggressive mer I knew??

My body suddenly tensed when I felt his tip push inside, drawing a hiss from between my clenched teeth but he didn't let me focus too long on the pain beginning to blossom in my backside because he was soon stroking his thumb over one of my sensitive nipples and rubbing my right arm with his other, trying to calm me down a little.

"It's okay. Just relax...it hurts much less if your muscles aren't tight."

He knows which 'muscle' was tight and it was beginning to hurt like hell as he pushed into it!

I did my best to try and do as he said despite the voices in my head but I just couldn't manage it since the pain was growing as he slowly pushed himself further and further inside!

"H-Hurts!"

My head pressed against the cold, muddy ground as my breathing began to turn into quiet pants. I was literally counting down from sixty in my head, and literally the second I hit zero he was done, now fully buried in my backside. 

"I-It's b-been a m-minute..." I groaned out, honestly trying my best not to whimper. Sure I liked it rough with girls, but having another guy in me definitely wasn't my idea of a good time!

Mellac sighed quietly against my back where his forehead rested between my shoulder blades. He was still rubbing my arm but had moved his left hand down to my abdomen, rubbing soothingly along my wet, muddy skin. 

"O-Out p-please..."

I felt his hard body slowly begin to relax as his hands both shifted to my hips and he began to carefully pull out. It hurt just as badly as it did when going in but when a sudden jolt of pleasure shot through me I arched my back and tightened around him, forcing him to stop with a hiss of surprise.

What...the hell...had that been?!

"There's a spot that can be hit that will feel so much better than that just did...I barely brushed against it."

His deep husky voice sent a shiver down my spine as I panted heavily in the wet grass. It was beginning to really rain now but all I could think about was how amazing that little brush had felt. When I didn't answer Mellac gently turned my hips and nudged himself forward slightly. I wanted to tell him to stop, to keep pulling out, but then his tip rubbed against that spot again and I couldn't help but moan.

"Th-There..."

"May I, hu--Jayson? I can make it feel good..."

He rubbed himself against it without waiting for an answer, making me squirm beneath him as my length twitched with excitement.

"Let me..."

His hips began to jerk forward, tapping that spot repeatedly and making me want to roll around on the ground with arousal.

"Nnn, d-do it!"

All of his patience and hesitation disappeared in an instant the second those words left my mouth! He wrapped his arms tightly around my body, left arm around my torso and right one wrapping under and up to grab my left shoulder...then he began seriously going at it!! It hurt like hell but the pleasure mixed in was intense beyond what I had ever felt with a girl!

My hands slid in the mud as he began to add force. I knew he was just getting started considering what I'd heard with Callem and Parker but I was really beginning to ache! Not to mention that as soon as he got a strong rhythm going he licked my neck twice, then bit down, hard.

That drew a gasping moan from my mouth, which just ended up spurring him on further. I wanted to react since I was so used to leading but every time I tried to move I just slipped further forward, and further, and further...and then suddenly we were sliding down the tiny slope to splash into the shallow part of the pond! Thank god the water wasn't more than a few inches since it didn't rain much recently, but still! I thought falling would at least slow him down since we came apart on the way down but he just yanked me towards him by my ankle and grabbed my hips so he could get himself aligned again. This time I was on my back though, so when he pushed in all I could do was arch and bear it, grinding my teeth until he managed to find that sweet spot again. 
A minute or so later I was back in my euphoric state and just about ready to climax when I heard two dogs barking a few yards away.

Oh shit! The neighbors dogs!

Mellac stopped and looked up, noticing the two dogs just barely from where we were in the pond. They were german shepherds, great guard dogs...unfortunately. Well, at least I thought they were. As soon as Mellac flared his gills and hissed at them I heard two whimpers and then the sound of a doggy-door flap twice, telling me that they'd just run inside. Hah!

I saw Mellac turn back and tensed, expecting him to start assaulting my backside again but when he just snarled and leaned down, snapping his jaws down on the uninjured side of my neck, I got seriously confused. That is until he strengthened his grip on my hips to near bone-breaking and buried himself completely back in...then heat.

"Nnnnnn..."

He growled in response, shifting slightly as he slowly continued to empty himself inside of me. My own body had gone off the second I felt his heat begin to spread through me but there was no way I was able to keep going as long as him! 
While his body worked I noticed him looking down at me and blushed, though it was a bit late to feel embarrassed.

"Mers normally mate once, then leave..."

My heart sank...but he'd said that before. Mers didn't have life-long mates. It was all breeding and that's that. When he slowly pulled his hips back I winced, sighing when he was finally completely out.

"...However..."

I blinked, confused again about what he was going to say. For the next few moments he stayed quiet and just grabbed my legs, pushing them back before motioning for me to hold them. I did so without much thought but had to stifle a pained groan when I felt his tongue begin to lap at my opening. Thankfully he only licked it a few times before grabbing my legs again and gently putting them down and crawling over me. 
Everything about this position screamed 'predator' at me. My mind was panicking about doing 'it' again, as I just didn't have the energy or pain-tolerance left, but when he just smiled softly and leaned down, placing a soft kiss against my lips, I felt my body hesitantly calm again. I let him kiss me until he was sated and moved away slightly, leaning on his elbows as his body rested contently against my own.

"...I don't want to share."