by Anna Santos
Placing my legs over his as he kneels between me, Duncan holds the head of his cock against my entrance. He circles and rubs before pushing it inside. I’m wet with arousal and his saliva, yet the intrusion feels uncomfortable, and I tense and moan. Duncan stops, kneading my legs as his tongue licks my left nipple. My walls adjust to his length and size and my hips bounce back and forth. He thrusts in and out, igniting fire and longing. Increasing the pace, I moan and gasp for air. It's so good, I feel like I'm about to faint. Faster and deeper. I want him all. I need him to keep going. Grabbing his face, I pull him down for a kiss and entwine my legs around his waist. I'm losing control, but I don't care. Duncan is mine and making love to him feels like perfection.
Several minutes later, I scream in pleasure as my body shatters around his. He keeps pounding and pressing until he groans and falls between my arms, hiding his face against my breasts. I cuddle his head and hold him tighter. I could sleep like that, but Duncan has other intentions. He begins kissing my neck, breasts, stomach, legs, and inner thighs. Turning me on my stomach, his hands explore my behind, and his lips glide over my skin. His hand circles the nape of my neck. I whimper with his teeth nibbling on my shoulder. That feels great! His fingers rub my slit and his cock presses against my entrance. I feel tight, but he fills me, and I shriek in pleasure with the first thrust. My butt fits against his crotch as he sways his hips to take me to nirvana again.
If having this kind of intimacy and pleasure is what it means to be married to Duncan, then I never want to leave him. I feel tiny between his arms, but the gentleness of his touch, his moans, and the rhythm of our bodies making love is better than anything else I’ve ever experienced in my life.
Chapter 13—Struggle
THE SUN IS SETTING, and I can’t help staring at the beautiful horizon in awe. The sea was my home for a long time. Now, I have to get used to having legs. I married Duncan, and I’m his queen. It’s time I fulfill my end of the deal with the Sea Witch. Losing my tail is a small price to pay for my happiness. I’ll miss breathing underwater. I’ll miss my underwater kingdom.
I sit by the shore and let the seafoam touch my toes as the breeze plays with my hair. A stronger wave wets my feet. As salt is absorbed by my skin, my transformation begins. After saying the incantation, my tail will be gone forever. Returning to the sea and leaving my husband is out of the question.
I secure my hands on the sand and lean back with closed eyes. I breathe the breeze and remember the happy moments I had underwater, the races with my sisters, the quests for sunken treasures, and all the colorful fish that roam my father’s domains.
Suddenly, hands grab my shoulders.
I look back. “Dun—” I scream at the unfamiliar man behind me. His filthy hand covers my mouth and muffles my cry for help.
“Grab her while she’s a mermaid. She’s easier to handle like that.” A voice echoed behind me.
I use my fingernails to scratch my attacker. Flopping my tail, I try to roll on the surf into the water, so I can escape.
“Not so fast, pretty one,” another attacker grabs me, and I notice his dark eyes. “My master won’t be happy if I let you escape.”
I scratch and pull them back. With my mouth free, I scream at the top of my lungs. “Duncan!”
An angry voice orders, “Grab her arms, so I can tie her up and put a rag in her mouth to keep her quiet.”
Frenetically, I look at the slope, hoping to see a guard coming my way. Hoping to see Duncan. I seem alone. I try to evade their hands and move my head, fighting for survival. Their hands keep grabbing me and trying to muffle my screams.
I suck in a breath and focus my powers on the waves. They increase in size and crash against my attackers. One of them stumbles and falls, but the one with dark eyes growls and slaps my face. Blood floods inside my mouth, and I feel dizzy. When I focus my eyes on him, his face looks dangerous and his eyes are completely dark.
“What are you doing?” The other man manages to get on his feet and pulls the dark-eyed creature from me.
“Her blood,” the guy mutters.
I gasp when I notice the fangs inside his mouth. Rolling onto my tummy, I try to leave the salty water, so I can use my legs to run while they are discussing.
“Master will kill us if anything bad happens to her. That includes feeding. Now grab her and let’s move.”
I feel a sharp pain in my tail. Looking back, I see they are pulling me back. I slap and flop, hoping to knock them down.
My breath is heavy. “Duncan...”
“The Lycan King can’t hear you. You’ve descended alone, and we’ve been waiting for the opportunity to grab you,” the one that seemed human says.
Seizing my arms, the two of them drag me through the sand. My dress clings to my body, making it harder to move.
“Duncan!”
“We’re dead if they find us here,” the human mutters.
“Quiet!” the vampire spat at me, his eyes menacing. Halting, he grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. “Grab the horses, I’ll carry her.”
A howl echoes, and I raise my head to look at the castle.
“They know we are here,” the vampire speaks. “We need to hurry.”
My stomach drops, and my head falls forward as he increases speed. I feel dizzy, but I try to move.
“Let me go!” I wiggle and push to get out of his hold.
“Shut up if you want to live,” he menaces as he runs up the hill.
Fisting my hands, I puff out of breath and stab my fists against his back.
Without any warning, he throws me forward, and I fall on the floor. The air leaves my lungs, and with blurry vision I notice a dark figure speeding our way. I blink.
The vampire sniffs the air. “Lycan,” he says.
“Shit! Run!” The man that was with the vampire seems to notice the dark beast running toward him. The creature looks like a half-man, half-wolf. Something tells me it’s my husband.
The vampire turns around and sees what I see—his companion frozen in terror.
I place my hands over my mouth and stifle a scream when the creature jumps in the air and tears my attacker apart. The man didn’t have the time to scream.
Duncan’s beast has dark fur and yellow eyes. He growls and drools, blood smearing his fur and sliding down his mouth.
The vampire fists his hands and looks at me as he removes a blade from behind his back. My breathing halts. I have no idea how strong a vampire is. Can he kill Duncan?
But, instead of attacking Duncan, the vampire dodges and slices my leg. “Better you than me,” he mumbles with a sly grin before speeding away.
Tears run down my cheeks, and I cry in pain. The Lycan's head snaps at me.
“Duncan, no...” I cry as I place my hands in front of my body for protection. I squint my eyes, preparing myself for the worst.
Instead of being attacked, I feel his tongue licking my fingers. He whimpers. Opening my eyes, I look into his. He doesn’t want to hurt me. Duncan came to rescue me.
His head bounces against my hand, and I rub his head. My wound stings, but it’s not deep.
Duncan’s claws reach my face, and his talons brush my cheek. Before I realize what’s happening, he’s taking me in his arms and walking to our home. He’s still in his Lycan form, and I wonder if he can shift back. Still, he’s not acting like a wild beast and seems in control.
“I’m sorry for leaving our home alone,” I sob, caressing his fur and hiding my face against his chest.
I WAS PACING OUTSIDE Mirella’s bedroom while the healer was checking her physical wounds. Vampires had entered my domains and tried to kidnap my wife. Unacceptable. I will rage war against the Vampire King.
“What happened?”
I look at the blonde woman coming my way and blink. “What are you doing here, Dana?”
“Her distress call reached my senses. The waves screamed in my head, and I knew that my sister was in danger.”
I fold my arms over my chest.
“The Vampire King sent men to kidnap my wife. She fought back, and our bond allowed me to know she was in danger. I saved her in time, and my beast killed one of the humans helping the vampires. But the vampire got away.”
Mirella’s sister fists her hands. “I’ll kill that bastard before he tries to hurt my sister again.”
“They have been attacking my ships. We have no idea why. But this was the last straw. They hurt my queen!”
“Gather your men. We’ll attack together. He’ll be sorry that he harmed a mermaid princess.”
Before I could agree with Dana, the door cracks open and Mirella appears, jumping on one leg.
“There’ll be no war,” she states with a severe expression. “I’m alive, and I don’t want more destruction. We need to send an emissary to the Vampire King and demand an explanation. Duncan swears...”
“I’ll go,” Dana cuts her off. “I swim faster and can enter undetected. I shall talk with that reckless vampire.”
“Dana,” Mirella mumbles.
It’s too late. Dana marches down the corridor and disappears.
“She’ll start a war on her own. I’ve never seen her this mad.”
I look at my wife. “I’m mad, too!”
She grins. “I’m here and well.” Her arms wound around my neck. “My hero.”
I kiss her and hold her tight, the fear of losing her still gnaws at my heart. I would die without her. I know I would.
“Love of my life,” I whisper against her lips.
With a worried expression, she leans back. “Duncan, we need to talk about something.”
“What’s wrong, honey?”
“I was on the beach because...”
“You miss the ocean? I know I can’t hold you prisoner, but it’s not safe to descend on your own. You need an escort to prevent something like this from happening again. If you want to swim, ask me, and I’ll go with you or send guards.”
Mirella bites her lower lip. “It’s not that. I miss the ocean, but I made a deal with the Sea Witch. It’s time for me to keep my part of the deal. For that, I need to go to the sea and offer her my tail.”
“You’ll stop being a mermaid,” I mumble with mixed emotions fighting inside my heart.
She nods. “It’s a small price to pay for spending my life with you.”
I caress her cheek. “You won’t be able to...and your family... Do they know?”
“I don’t think so. But it’s okay. They can come and visit me here. All I want from life is to be your wife and bear your children.”
My heart swells with love. “I’ll make sure you never regret your decision.”
My wife smiles and kisses me.
Chapter 14—The Price of Happiness
THE NEXT MORNING, DUNCAN gathers a small army to escort us to the beach. In tight formation, the soldiers turn their back on us and wait for new orders as they surveil the forest.
Duncan places me on the sand. The waves wet my legs and stomach. My fishtail appears and my husband sits next to me.
“Are you sure you want to give up your tail?” His voice is sweet, and his hand caresses my scales.
“I’m sure. I just need to recite the spell, and I’ll have legs forever. She said I won’t lose my powers of manipulating water or my ability to communicate with the fish, but I won’t be able to breathe underwater anymore.”
Duncan kisses my cheek. “Your family will still be able to come here to visit you.”
I fight back the tears. “Yes.” I didn’t think it would be so hard to do this. The previous day, I had a lot more resolve.
“Do you want to go for a swim before you recite the spell?”
I shake my head. “I need to do this now. Just stay here with me while I calm down.”
My king circled his hand around my waist and leaned his head on my shoulder.
Breathing deeply, I faced the horizon. “A deal is a deal. I, Mirella, daughter of Tritan and queen of the Lycans hereby renounce my mermaid legacy and offer my tail to the Sea Witch. With seawater and blood, I sealed this deal. With this spell and seawater, I make it effective.”
I hold my breath as I wait for something to happen.
Nothing.
Then, a tingly feeling numbs my tail and the seafoam snakes around me until my tail disappears and all that remains are my legs.
Tears fall from my eyes, and I lean closer to Duncan’s embrace. “It’s gone. I’m like you now.”
His hand strokes my hair, and he kisses away my tears. “Not like me, my love, but you will be.”
Sniffing, I raise my face to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“Once we have our first child, I’ll bite you and infect you with lycanthropy. It will make you stronger, faster, and you’ll live as long as I will. Do you want that?”
“Why just after our first child? Why not today?”
Duncan presses his forehead against mine and closes his eyes. “I’m not going to lie. Biting you will cause you to have a fever. You could die. I need to secure an heir. If you die, I die. Many don’t bite their mates because they are afraid of losing them too soon. Do you still want this?”
“Why do you want to bite me?”
“To make you stronger.” His fingers touched her cheek. “The vampires are trying to start a war. My bite will give you the chance to fight and win against them.”
“Let’s go home, my love. We finished what we had to do here. Now, I need to rest. I’m feeling dizzy.”
Duncan gets up and lowers to take me in his arms. I don’t protest because I don’t think I can walk on my own. He’s still a bit paranoid about what happened the previous day. My encounter with the vampire was scary enough. Therefore, I don’t say a thing about the increase in security and his insistence on going everywhere I go.
Chapter 15—The Vampire King
IT’S BEEN A WEEK SINCE I’ve married Mirella. I can’t be happier. She’s all I’ve ever dreamed of and more. My wife is still adapting to her new life and world. Meanwhile, I’m working with my new family to keep Mirella safe and my kingdom and ships protected from the Vampire King.
Tonight, I’m hosting another ball at my castle. Mirella’s family is coming and so is the Vampire King and his entourage.
My servants walk around the ballroom with trays of drinks and food. My important guests chat and laugh, oblivious to my anxiety. There are several ways that the meeting with the Vampire King could go wrong. Yet, I need to know why he’s doing this and what we did to provoke the attacks.
My attention piques when my wife enters the ballroom with her sister, Dana. Dana has been crucial in arranging this meeting. King Tritan will escort the Vampire King to my lands and guarantee his safety.
Mirella glides to my side, wearing a beautiful sky-blue tulle dress that hugs her delicious curves. Her long hair is styled into a braid and she’s wearing a crown on her head. The music stops, people bow in awe, and I stride to her.
“You look ravishing, my queen,” I mumble as I grab and kiss her hand. “You look beautiful too, Princess Dana. Thank you for joining us.”
Dana smiles and entwines her hands. She’s wearing a pink dress and her hair is decorated with pearls and small starfish. The mermaid is a beauty, but I only have eyes for my wife.
The noise resumes around us, and the servants approach to offer food to Mirella and Dana. They refuse, and I accompany them to the throne. My wife will sit next to me on my right, and Dana will sit next to the queen.
Once we sit and look at our guests, my wife’s hand falls on mine. “Dana is nervous.”
I look at the mermaid princess. “Why?”
“She has a crush on the Vampire King.” Mirella giggles.
“I do not,” Dana protests.
“She went to visit him in his kingdom, threatened him with a dagger against his throat, and menaced to wage war against his kind if he ever sent anyone else to hurt me.”
“I would do it all over again for you, Mirella. Be more appreciative of what I did.”
Dana folded her arms. “He’s here to talk to Duncan, isn’t he? So, I must have done something right.”
Mirella leans closer to her sister. “Are you going to invite him to dance?”
“Why would I do that?”
“You found him attractive and haven’t stop talking about him since you got here.”
Dana rolls her eyes. “He’s a vampire. They drink blood.” She sneers at the word blood. Sitting straight in her seat, she adds, “I’m not asking him to dance with me. He can do that himself if he’s interested.”
“We have a lot to discuss today. I doubt he came here to dance and mingle with us,” I interrupt their conversation.
“I’m glad you’ve accepted Daddy’s help in mediating this reunion. Father won’t let anything happen to you if the vampire’s intentions aren’t honorable,” Mirella says.
My heartbeat accelerates with the sweetness in her voice and her concern for my well-being.
“Where’s Leonard?” Dana peruses the ballroom.
Mirella angles her body in her direction. “I thought you didn’t like how much he flirted with you and everybody’s else.”
“I don’t, but he’ll be useful for what I have in mind.”
“Leonard is in charge of the security detail that’s escorting the Vampire King and his men to the castle. He must be arriving soon,” I inform them. “I’ll have to leave once they get here. We’re having a private conversation in the royal library. Once it’s over, I’ll return to dance with you, my love.” I gaze into Mirella’s eyes and smile.
“I’ll be here with Dana.”
I lean closer and brush her cheek with a finger. “Please eat something. You need to make an effort. I don’t want you weak.”