Taming their Tailfins: Howls Romance

by Marianne Morea

  Sea creatures. Half human, half…tailfin?

  Holy Disney movie!

  “Impossible,” she whispered.

  Before Valerie could close her mouth, Hannah rushed up, breathless, a huge smile on her face. “Val! Oh my God! You would not believe this place! It’s another world!”

  A surreal knot bit into her stomach, and Valerie didn’t know what to think or say.

  Hannah nearly giggled. “I said you wouldn’t believe me.”

  “Believe you? Hannah, where the hell are you? You look like you’re playing house in a giant aquarium!”

  “Well, not to put too fine a point on things, but yeah. I am. Didn’t you read the letter I sent with Aggie? I asked her to give you the note once she got to the surface. She and Sam are coming home in a couple of days. I was hoping they’d help you understand.”

  “Home? And where is home, exactly? Especially since I’m sitting in your living room in the midst of packing up your stuff. New York is home, Hannah. Not some fantasyland where you get to play Little Mermaid.”

  Valerie didn’t know what to think. “Is this some kind of Jules Vern fantasy? Is Soren some kind of eccentric billionaire? Did he get NASA to build him an underwater playground? I mean, people pay to vacation on the International Space Station, so why not?

  “I’m in a place called Oloris. Think lost continent of Atlantis, only way cooler…and yes, Soren is a shifter. A dragon shifter. A real, honest to God, dual-natured being. Everyone from Oloris and its different lands are such. I know this is hard for you to accept, let alone believe. Trust me. I had a hard enough time wrapping my head around the surreal reality, but it’s all true, Val. Everything I said. It’s amazing.”

  Val choked back a sob and offered her friend a soft smile. “I guess pondering what ifs didn’t make you the crazy one after all.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.”

  “So the naked guy that showed up in your living room turned out to be the real deal, huh? Your own personal prince charming,” Val teased, trying to make light of what was almost too incredible to believe. “Live and in 3D Technicolor.”

  Hannah laughed out loud. “In the living room, in the bedroom, on the kitchen floor, in the shower, you name it.” She grinned, cocking her head. “Funny you should call him my prince charming, though.”

  “Why? For a book nerd like you it doesn’t get any more fairytale,” Val chuckled.

  “Yeah, well. Royalty is more than just a state of mind when it comes to Soren and his family.”

  “Seriously? Hot, hunky and a royal? Of what country?” Val asked, forgetting for a moment Hannah didn’t mean from their world.

  Hannah eyed her friend. “I think I’ll let Aggie explain. Like I said in my note, you have to see it to believe it.”

  The realization her best friend wasn’t around the corner anymore made Val’s chest hurt, but she forced a smile anyway. “You look happy, Hannah. Really.”

  Hannah’s answering grin was soft. “I am, Val. Truly. Soren and this place are more than even I could dream up. I wish you could see for yourself, though, but I suppose sonar facetime is as good as it’s going to get. I wish you could see this place. Now that you’ve had a tiny glimpse, promise me you’ll keep an open mind. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  Hannah turned her end of their communique toward the water and the trees beyond. “See what I mean? The ocean water is violet, and always warm. You can float weightless the same way as in the Dead Sea on Earth, except here the water is vibrant with life. The trees are greener than anything on the surface, and they smell like a fresh ocean breeze.”

  “How does your dragon manage inside a domed city? Aren’t you afraid he’ll smash the glass and it’ll all come flooding in?”

  With a laugh, Hannah turned the camera back around. “The dome is huge, so no. But the best part is the merfolk. Mermaids and mermen, Val. Real ones, and they’re beautiful. When I say it’s out of this world, trust me, I mean it.” She leaned in, coming so close to water lens, her face got huge. “Val, promise me you’ll give Aggie a chance to explain before you freak or threaten her with bodily harm. That you won’t get the way you get.”

  Valerie cringed and Hannah burst out laughing. “Val! Seriously, dude. Tell me you didn’t!”

  “C’mon, Hannah. Think about it from my perspective. She shows up unannounced, and even brought movers with her to help me pack. Two very large, very hot movers, who if my guess is correct, have got to be related to your own personal hottie.”

  “That’s good. The owners have re-sublet the brownstone and the new tenants take possession at the end of the week, or so I think,” Hannah replied, “so I hope you had time to pack my stuff.”

  Valerie rolled her eyes. “What are you worried about? You sublet the place furnished, so there’s not much to pack but clothes and knickknacks. Plus, it’s not like UPS delivers to the Twilight Zone.”

  “Wow. Two hotties.” Hannah laughed. “Are they shifters like Soren?”

  “How would I know? It’s not the kind of question you blurt to people you’ve just met.”

  “Girl, what have you got to lose?” She sighed. “I’m so happy, Valerie. This is no dream, except everything about this place and this man is dreamy, and I want the same for you.”

  Valerie smirked, lifting one shoulder. “Maybe.”

  “It’s your choice, I suppose.” Hannah sighed again. “Except, I can’t see you going back to those skinny-jeaned, man-bunned coffeehouse metrosexuals and their lattes. Not when you pushed me to go for more.”

  Valerie snorted. “Look at you turning the tables.” She watched Hannah’s lip curl and she had to laugh. “I’d have to have a brain bleed first, but what the hell. I’m game if opportunity comes my way.”

  “Hottie movers, Val? Sounds to me like opportunity already knocked.”

  She had to laugh. “Twice.”

  “Literally!” Hannah laughed even louder, sparing a glance for her mate at the edge of the deck overlooking the violet water.

  Following her friend’s line of sight, Valerie whistled. “Seriously, bookworm. Do they all look like that?”

  Nodding, Hannah giggled. “Pretty much, yeah.”

  “Damn. There aren’t enough batteries in the world.” Val whistled low.

  Hannah’s brows knotted for a moment. “Batteries? For what?”

  “For the adult toys necessary to deal with that kind of hotness day and night. Especially if it’s all lookee-but-don’t-touchee.” Val winked.

  Hannah’s grin spread ear to ear. “If Aggie hand delivered those two to your door, I’m sure the idea was to give you a choice. Your own personal, flesh and blood adult toy to use day and night. Trust me, Val. Big time. And I mean BIG!”

  A shadow of regret replaced the humor in Hannah’s eyes and her contented sigh was suddenly tinged with loneliness. “Soren is wonderful, and everyone here is so welcoming, but not having you around is the one thing I would change about my life right now.” Her breath hitched and Hannah pressed her palm to the heart. “I miss you, so much, dude.”

  “I miss you, too, bookworm.” Val pressed her palm to her chest as well, but before she could say anything else, her friend turned.

  Hannah nodded to muffled voices out of view before turning back. “Listen, Val,” she began softly. “I gotta go. The queen’s baby shower is today and as a member of the royal house, I have to be there to represent.” She touched her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss. “I love you, dude. Always.”

  “Hannah! Wait! Is there a way I can call you? Email or something?” Val’s voice rose and she gripped the sides of the bowl, making the water slosh over the rim, but her friend was gone.

  Chapter Four

  Valerie stared at the clear water for a moment. Her best friend was gone, and there was no way to get in touch again. Her chin dropped to her chest with a resigned sigh.

  “Well, I guess I got my answer. Hannah is happy and she’s not coming back.”

  She lifted her head
, and then slumped against the couch pillow.

  “I know you miss her, but aren’t you glad Hannah’s content?”

  Val’s head jerked toward the feminine voice in the foyer. “Jesus, Aggie. Don’t you ever knock?”

  The old woman’s footsteps clacked against tile as she walked into the room. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Of course, I miss her, and yes, I’m happy she’s happy, but that doesn’t fix the huge hole in my life. I told you. Hannah is my family.” She lifted a limp hand. “Was my family.”

  “You don’t strike me as a defeatist, Valerie. Fate always finds a way.”

  Valerie sighed again. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled Hannah’s found her forever. I guess I’m wondering what to do with all this.” She circled her hand over her chest. “It’s a lot to lose, and a lot to take in at the same time. I finally understand the why of her leaving. It’s the how, I’m still having trouble with.”

  Nervous laughter bubbled up and Valerie shook her head. “That guy with the weird hair from Ancient Aliens would crap his pants if he knew about the real life Atlantis.”

  “Oloris, dear. Same tree, very different branch. Oloris is very real. Atlantis, on the other hand, is a myth built on stories of our capital city, Aelantedes. Lucky for us the surface world thinks that weird hair guy is off his rocker,” Aggie’s soft laughter tinkled in the quiet. “He’s not too far off the mark, though. Aiming his hypotheses at the skies instead of the depths.”

  The old woman closed the distance between them, sliding onto the couch beside Valerie. “Shifters have been around for millennia. We have coexisted with humanity longer than recorded history. Our origin is similar to that of the Fae, in we came from different worlds and settled on Earth.”

  Valerie blinked again. “We? Does that mean you’re a—”

  “Shifter?” Aggie raised an eyebrow. “Does that surprise you?”

  Another incredulous giggle bubbled up. “Everything about this surprises me.”

  “Fair enough. To answer your next question, I’m a dragon. Like Soren. Supernatural races may coexist with humanity, but most like to keep our existence secret.”

  “How did you—I mean, shifters—how did you get here?” Her lips parted in disbelief. “Did you build the pyramids? What about all those crop circles?”

  Aggie laughed out loud. “That’s a whole other story for another time, but in a nutshell, not guilty. “Oloris remains obscured for a reason. We tried interaction with the human race eons ago, and the end result was a cataclysm so intense, we sought obscurity in the depths. The surface world can barely tolerate its own races. It is not ready for the supernatural as fact.. Of course, there are those shifters who choose to make their life on the surface. Most are in professional sports or Hollywood. Just look at Zale and Adrian…and Soren.”

  “Wait, are you telling me Sam’s demolition duo two are from the same underwater world as Soren?”

  “Oloris. Yes.”

  “Is that why Zale flipped his wig? Soren’s last name is Draakki. Zale absolutely freaked! I mean growling, weird flashing shadow kind of scary the moment he stepped into Hannah’s bedroom. What’s the connection?”

  Aggie reached for the small, stone tablet and put it in her purse. “All things considered, you’ve handled this information well. I’m not surprised, though. You’d be amazed how many people claim they’re good with weird, but once tested they fall back into superstitious prejudice and fear.”

  She closed the latch on her purse, and then got up from the couch. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know in good time, however, first things first.”

  “What things?”

  “We need to get Hannah’s place packed up if we’re to catch our flight tomorrow night. The new tenants are set to arrive any day.”

  “Our flight?” Valerie asked, not bothering with how Aggie knew about the new sublet.

  Nodding, Aggie fished in her purse. “Nonstop JFK to Athens. The Atlantis myth got one thing right. The location of the original cataclysm.” She found her cellphone and scrolled for a number in her contact list. “The how of it, dear. Don’t you want to find out?”

  Valerie opened her mouth to argue, but Aggie lifted a finger, stifling her questions. “Hello, Snappy Movers? I need to speak with David. What? No, tell him it’s Aggie. I’ll hold.”

  Aggie covered the speaker on her cell phone. “Why don’t you clean up the empty wine glasses while I—”

  Her finger went up again and she motioned for Valerie to get a move on. “Dave? Hi, it’s Aggie.” She smiled. “Good, and you? Glad to hear it. Listen, dear. We’re still on for the move I spoke to you about, but it has to be completed by tomorrow afternoon. The storage place is all arranged.” A satisfied grin spread across her face.

  “Sounds great.” Aggie paused, listening. “Yes, I understand the rush charges. You’re a peach, Dave. See you tomorrow morning, and thanks.” With a nod she ended the call, tucking her cell phone into her purse.

  “Don’t look so confused,” Aggie said, meeting Valerie’s dumbfounded stare. “We need to finish up so you can get the rest of your affairs in order. I don’t want to spend another minute more than necessary on the surface.” She clicked the inside of her cheek.

  Val closed her mouth but didn’t move. “I don’t mean to sound suspicious, but telling someone they need to get their affairs in order is usually what people are told when they have six months to live.”

  “You’re not about to die, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Aggie laughed. “Oloris is the proverbial 10,000 leagues under the sea, but we’ve got transport covered like a boss. If you want to accompany me and see your friend, you need to make proper arrangements. This isn’t a weekend jaunt. There’s no Hampton Jitney back to the city.”

  Val’s brows knotted at the woman. “Just to be clear, you’re saying you can take me to see Hannah. Is that even possible? Is it a one-way ticket? I’m not signing on the dotted line if it’s not round trip.”

  “Of course, it’s round trip. Though time slows once you achieve certain depths,” Aggie replied. “Once you sample our delights, you might surprise yourself and decide to stay. After all, there’s a reason Venus rose from the sea. Sex was born in wetness. It’s easier that way.”

  Val half cringed, half chuckled. “Ew, please don’t. You’re ruining clams on the half shell for me.”

  Aggie laughed out loud. “You’re a treat, lovey. I wasn’t sure when Sam suggested we open our secrets to you, but Hannah needs you. More importantly, you need her.”

  “What about Zale and Adrian? Where do they fit in with this web you’re weaving?”

  “They were the carrots we used to get you to bite. Yield signs ahead, Valerie. You’ve got to yield to score big, and I mean BIG, so don’t forget to pack lube. You’ve got tailfins to tame, and they love a good thrash!” She waggled her eyebrows.

  Valerie laughed as images of the graceful half-human creatures she saw while talking to Hannah swam through her mind. “You make them sound like fish or something. Are you telling me they’re mermaids?”

  “Mermaids are female, and there is nothing feminine about those two. Think Neptune or Poseidon. Or better yet, think Aquaman. Jason Momoa isn’t Gemini, but he comes close!”

  “You’re a dirty broad for an old lady,” she replied, imagining Zale and Adrian in Aquaman cosplay costumes. “This is too much to take in at once. I just want to spend time with my best friend.”

  Aggie hiked her purse onto her shoulder. “I know we threw a lot of information at you at once. Information that would make many people turn and run. I have faith in you, honey. Hannah misses you, and you miss her, but that girl is all about her hunky dragon right now. Once we reach Oloris, you’re going to have to find something to occupy yourself while she’s otherwise occupied, if you get my meaning. Zale and Adrian are ready, willing and very able to keep you busy, but it won’t be a cake walk. There’s history there that might get in the way.”

  “
Another girl?” Val questioned, surprised at the slash of jealousy that cut across her chest. “I thought those two were into sharing.”

  “No, not exactly.” Aggie lifted a hand.

  Valerie snorted. “You sound just like Zale and Adrian. What is it with your lot, answering half my questions with ‘not exactly’?”

  Aggie looked at her. “We don’t have time for me to get into it now, but gird your loins, honey. If you want to play with the Gemini and keep it exclusive, it might mean a choice you don’t want to make.”

  Valerie opened her mouth, but then closed it. Zale and Adrian said they were a matched set, or so they claimed. Not that she was looking for more than a sexy roll in the waves, From Here to Eternity style times two.

  “Why are you making this sound so ominous?” Valerie asked. “I haven’t gotten over the surrealness of all this, and you’re talking as if my choices are life or death. I fantasized about a threesome with Zale and Adrian. It’s not a crime.”

  Aggie shook her head. “I can’t tell you more because you’re not at the point where you need to know. What I can say is decisions change outcomes, so if it comes to that, choose wisely. Think with your heart, and don’t let fear and doubt poison what you know in your gut to be the right path.”

  “Okay, now you’re scaring me. If I was curious about Adrian and Zale before, I’m no longer interested. Sounds like they have way too much baggage for a fling. Adrian said Zale wasn’t crazy. Now, I’m not so sure. Does this have anything to do with his scary reaction upstairs?”

  Nodding, Aggie eyed her face. “Yes, but that’s the beauty of an alpha and an omega. They balance each other. Zale is impulsive and Adrian is sensible, but they are both passionate, and when it comes to their chosen mate, they’d sacrifice themselves if need be.”

  “Whoa! That sounds super heavy.” Val shook her head. “I’m having second thoughts about this whole thing now.”