by Tawny Taylor
Such a sad thing. How had he become so obsessed?
When hours passed, and she’d grown tired of wandering the huge building, she found her way to his bedroom and relaxed, slipping into a dream-filled sleep where he was swimming around her, and they were both surrounded by cool blue waters.
She felt his touch. Could he be real? Or was she still dreaming? She opened her eyes.
He smiled, his eyes glittering with mischief and happiness. “Hi.”
Her heart nearly exploded with joy at seeing him, those eyes. His lips. The mole under his eye. “Hi.” She blinked the sleep from her eyes and sat up. “Something happened today, and I needed to tell you.”
He sat next to her. “What happened?”
“There was a little boy. He fell into the pond at the park, and I dove in and saved him. It was because of you. I would never have done that if it hadn’t been for you.”
“That’s wonderful, but it was you. You did it. Your strength allowed it.”
“Speaking of strength, or lack thereof, I’m sorry for running out like I did last night.”
“You still don’t believe me.”
“No.”
“Will you let me prove it to you?”
How would he do that?
Did she really want to know the truth? What if he was a selkie? “Okay.”
He took her hands in his and pulled her from the bed. “We have to go somewhere.”
A brief flash of unease coursed through her body but was quickly replaced by calm. “Okay.” She followed him through the house and outside. The limo came to a stop to pick them up, without being summoned, and they rode the short distance to the beach they’d visited together on that wonderful day.
But this time it was dark, the sky a deep blue-black. Stars twinkled. The moon cast a silvery glow over the water’s rippling surface.
Once out of the car, Josh led her to the water’s edge. “I must come here every Friday at exactly midnight, and I must remain in the water until midnight Saturday. That’s why you’ve never seen me on a Saturday afternoon.”
Immediately, memories from that first night, his unusual pallor, surfaced. That had been Friday night. Midnight. A chill shot up Jane’s spine and she shivered.
Could he be telling the truth? “What happens if you don’t go to the water?” she asked.
“I die. The poisons in the air are too toxic for my body. And I must replenish the water that escapes into the air as well.”
“Like a frog?”
He smiled, and she couldn’t help appreciating the beauty of it, even in the dark. “In a way.”
She glanced at her watch, surprised by the time. She’d slept for hours back at the house, and it was now near midnight.
What would she see in a few short minutes? She wasn’t sure she could deal with it, whether she saw him change into a fish-man or not.
Josh shed his shirt, shoes, socks and pants, and she watched, enthralled by his sleek, muscled, body. He moved with such grace, even as he did the most mundane of tasks. As each heartbeat sounded in her ear, she waited for something, anything, to prove what he was.
Which did she hope for? Which was worse? For him to be some kind of mythological creature? Or for him to be delusional?
He motioned for her to join him as he sat on the sand, so near the lapping tide as the cool water slipped up over her feet, but she wrapped her arms around herself against the chill and sat next to him.
“No human is permitted to see the Transformation. It is written; it is our curse. After today, I will not be able to return to the surface, to you.”
“You won’t?”
He shook his head. “I love you. If you must see this to believe me, then so be it. But understand that I cannot return. Ever.”
“So, how do I find you?”
“You must either go with me, now, or forget about me forever.”
What kind of choice was that? “But you said I needed a bone marrow transplant to live underwater. How will I go with you?”
“I can breathe for you until we get to my world. It is in a protective dome. Our doctors can perform the transplant. Then you will be like us, like other marine mammals. We have a protein that allows us to carry extra oxygen in our bloodstream. We can hold our breath for hours. Or to be sure of this, we can wait up to a year to do the procedure.”
Protein in the blood? Was it true? She knew whales and other animals did hold their breath, but she’d never read how.
It was possible.
She wasn’t buying this…was she?
Was his skin turning gray? Maybe it was the cold. Or the strange color of the moonlight. A funny slapping sound hit the beach at her feet and she looked down.
Oh God!
She felt the world spinning. She hadn’t just seen what she thought she’d seen. No way! His legs were not fusing into one, his feet twisting to the sides and bending into a fin.
She clamped her eyelids closed, swallowed several times, and waited for the dizziness to ease.
“I have to go now,” he said. “You must make a choice. And once that choice is made, you cannot go back.”
She opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath. He looked unreal, like a picture in fantasy art. His body was even bulkier than before, if that was possible, but where his skin had been sun-bronzed, now it was silver, a strange contrast to his gold hair. His legs were gone, replaced with one long tail covered with silver-blue scales. “Oh my God!”
“Do you love me?”
She did. She knew she did. But live under the sea? Where all her worst nightmares lurked?
“Do you trust me?”
He had always said if she was with him, nothing would happen to her. She looked into his eyes, and heard his voice inside her head. It vibrated through every part of her.
You are carrying my child, he said. It is not my wish that you will raise him alone. Come. Be my wife. Our queen. I love you.
She dropped her hand to her belly. “A child?”
He nodded. “My son. Our future king.”
This was too much! She gripped her head in her hands, muffling the soft sound of the water splashing against the sandy shore. What should she do?
It was real!
She thought about Diana and Carmen. How they’d miss her. She hadn’t even said goodbye. Her job—okay, she wouldn’t miss that.
But what about the warmth of the sun on a summer day? She’d miss that. And the smell of flowers and freshly mown grass. She’d miss those.
There was one thing—one person—she’d miss more than anything. There was one man she could no more live without than air, and he was being carried away on the tide.
“Wait!” She dashed into the sea, the water pulling at her shins. “Don’t go!”
He turned to face her, his head bobbing above the surface. “Come to me. You must come on your own.”
She ran, pushing through the heavy water, eager to break the distance between them, but it was as if the water wouldn’t let her. It rolled, forming high walls, obscuring him from her view, and no matter how hard she fought, she found herself being swept back toward shore.
Exhausted, and unable to see him over the bulging tide, she sat on the sand and did the only thing she could do. She cried, hollered out in frustration, then cursed the sea for being so damn big and strong.
Chapter 17
Doubt paralyses the strongest of men.
He was gone.
Damn it! She hadn’t really been convinced she wanted to go, even as she’d thrashed and kicked through the water.
Until now. Now, she felt empty and alone. He was gone, and he could never come back.
What had she done? She’d hesitated too long, and look what it had cost her. How would she live without him? And what if he said was true? What if she was carrying his baby? She shouted a few more choice words.
This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be; this isn’t what she wanted.
“I love you, Josh!” she yelled into the splashing, cr
ashing surf. “I will always love you.” Then she stood and pushing against the tide that had seemed to have changed directions, she started moving toward the open water.
But now, instead of being swept inland, she seemed to be pushed out to sea, no matter how hard she fought it. It was as if the water had a will.
She fought it, panicking, fearful she’d drown without Josh. Still, it pulled her deeper and deeper out to sea, until she was floating, the land beyond her reach, the shore too distant to see over the waves.
Oh God! She would die out here! “Josh!”
Something gripped her waist and pulled her under, and she fought for a moment, thrashing her hands to bring her back to the surface. Then, she saw his face and she relaxed.
I’m here, he said in her head.
I thought you were gone. You said you couldn’t come back. You said I had to come to you.
I had to wait. You had to choose. You had to truly wish to be with me, or the tide would not turn. It followed your lead, carrying you to me.
It followed my lead? Not in my book. If it had, I’d have been out here a lot sooner.
It’s just like humans to fight against the tide they themselves command, but once they learn to follow its will, they’re rewarded. I’m glad you chose me.
Me, too.
Let’s begin our journey. He kissed her, filling her lungs with sweet, pure air. He shed her clothes, his fingertips tracing the curves of her body, and heating her against the chill of the sea. She pressed her body to his, eager to feel his strength. Eager to meld her body to his, her legs wrapped around his waist, and his thick erection prodded her pussy.
His growl rumbled through her body, electrifying nerve endings everywhere. Foreign sounds echoed in her ears, and new tastes seeped into her mouth. The silky water caressed her skin, soaking up the heat bursting from her core as her need for Josh’s touch grew.
He slipped two fingers inside, stroking in and out.
She bit back a cry of agony and leaned back, weightless and floating. He held her hips with one hand, his other carrying her away on a tide of bliss as he circled over her clit before plunging deep inside again. Then his tongue took the place of his fingers, lapping her folds and teasing her clit.
She was drifting, falling, careening to a far off land, yet all she cared about was the feel of his touch, the taste of the air he blew into her mouth, and the sound of his voice in her head.
Her eyelids fell closed, and when they opened, there were more silver faces surrounding her. People she’d never seen. Men and women.
She is my queen, Josh said. I have chosen.
She is a human, a woman with flowing blonde hair said.
She will bear me many children. She is strong and able. She will make a great queen. You must welcome her as our tradition dictates.
Her pussy aching with need, her body aflame, her legs still wide apart, her hips still gripped firmly in Josh’s hand, she waited. What was their tradition? Couldn’t the creatures wait? Wasn’t it obvious they were busy at the moment? Um, Josh? Can’t this tradition thing wait a little while? I mean, I was so close…
She tried to pull her legs closed. There was something very uncomfortable about being open and exposed like that, before all those strange beings.
No. Remain as you are. This is our tradition, and your deepest fantasy. He laid her upon a flat rock balanced atop a taller rock that resembled a pillar and then he breathed into her mouth.
My deepest fantasy? I don’t think so. She closed her mouth, trapping the air inside, and shut her eyes against the faces hovering around her. Ghostlike, their eyes big, they studied her as if she were a specimen.
Yet, she had to admit, her pussy was throbbing. There was something very erotic about the experience.
He is my son and future king. As his wife, your responsibilities will be many. We welcome you, and bless your body so that it will be fruitful and will bring many babies. The woman ran her hands down Jane’s body, from the tips of her collarbone to her toes.
Another voice said, He is my brother, and keeper of all things dear to our people. We worship your body as the vessel of his seed, wishing you many fruitful years and blessings. Another round of touches traveled up and down her body. Light and fleeting, they tickled her, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.
He is my son, a male voice said. The voice was deep and commanding, much like Josh’s. And my future heir. He holds the future of our people in his hands. As his wife, you must protect that future, bear it with pride, nourish and nurture it until it is brought to maturity. We worship your body as the giver of life, the chosen one to nurture the future of our people. His touch was more firm as it traveled down over her breasts and stomach and then down her legs.
Now, we must bless your fertility, he commanded.
What does that mean? Please tell me these people aren’t into group sex. That’s never been my thing.
Have no fear, Josh said in her head. Give in to the pleasure. They are preparing you for me. Let them.
Preparing how? Jane opened her eyes and met Josh’s reassuring gaze, and then she nodded. Two women reached for her legs, wrapping their hands around her knees and lifting them, forcing her legs far apart.
Oh God! Jane released a blast of air, and Josh covered her mouth with his, filling her lungs again. His tongue dipped into her mouth, stroking hers, and sending hot sparks between her legs.
They are preparing you for me, he repeated before drawing away. Close your eyes.
Okay, I can handle this. It’s a tradition. I’m sure it’s nothing kinky…not too kinky, I hope. She did as he told her to, but opened them with the first touch. A woman was running a handful of green stuff up and down her body, chanting in some language she couldn’t understand. Another approached with bright flowers of some kind.
Flowers? In the sea?
The woman set them upon her stomach, low, over her womb. Only then did she realize they weren’t flowers. They were hard. Carved out of something, crystal? Beautiful.
More voices joined the chanting, and hands reached from all directions toward her, resting on every part of her body, her tits, stomach, pussy, legs, ass. Currents of electricity shot from them, zapped up and down her spine and exploded in her womb, feeling like a million tongues teasing her clit.
Her stomach muscles clenched into a tight ball, lifting her hips higher, and her thigh muscles pulled, spreading her legs further.
That’s it, love, Josh said in a honey-smooth voice. Give in to the pleasure. Let them worship your body and bless our love.
The chanting picked up in pace, and with it, the teasing strokes over her clit. Between the strange sounds in her head and the agonizingly erotic touches on her pussy and ass, she thought she’d go mad with need. Her body was flaming hot, her blood like lava, carrying that heat upwards and out. A pool of it collected in her gut.
She needed him. Inside.
Josh! Fuck me.
Her pussy clamped closed around its own emptiness, eager to be filled. She felt her ass cheeks being spread. The chanting changed, becoming as urgent as the need building inside her.
Patience, Love. They’re not through with the blessing yet. Show me how much my love pleases you. He breathed for her again, filling her lungs. He tasted sweet and musty. Of her juices. I drink from you. He drifted to the end of the rock and joined the chanting. As she looked down, she saw him drop his head between her legs, and his tongue drew slow, lazy circles around her slit.
The women pulled at her legs, stretching her inner thigh muscles, but she gloried in the feeling, wanting to be open to him. It felt so right, surrendering her body to him like this, open, raw, nothing hidden.
We will see our blessings received, the man said. Show us how you receive our blessings.
Come for them, Josh whispered into her soul. Come for all of them, and welcome their blessings into your spirit.
His words alone nearly sent her over the edge. With the help of one tight circle over her clit, s
he came, every muscle in her body pulsing in orgasm.
The people cheered and sang, and Josh kissed her. You are now my wife and their queen. Welcome to your new kingdom.
As the final twitches of her climax settled, she opened her eyes and saw what she hadn’t seen before, a city of crystal, sparkling as the light of the distant sun shot through the deep waters and struck the cut facets.
Come and see your new home. Josh breathed into her mouth, took her hand, and she followed him into the glittering new world before her.
She glanced back and met the welcoming gazes of the people, the warm smiles and reverent bows.
Our queen.
She was a queen? Plain Jane. The woman who’d let fear run her life for years?
How could it be so? Yet, as she stood at the bottom of the sea, she stared at the city of crystal that was as real as anything she’d ever seen before.
Somehow, this was her new life. A life full of wonder and beauty, with the man she loved. That alone was enough for her.
She was in heaven.
Chapter 18
Irony makes life interesting.
“You look like death warmed over,” Diana proclaimed the minute she stepped into Jane’s hospital room, surgical mask in one hand, latex gloves in the other. “In fact, I came here ready to throttle you. You’d better be damn grateful you’re so sick.” She hooked the mask over her face, slipped on the gloves and shook her head. “Look at you!”
Diana, it’s good to see you too. Glad to hear you haven’t worried about me too bad the past twelve months. Jane forced a smile. “Thank you for pointing out the bright side to getting a bone marrow transplant. Stupid me, I thought it was plain misery.”
“So, when are you going to tell me what happened to you? One minute we were getting ready for a girls’ night out and the next, you’re gone. And nothing, no calls, no letters. For twelve months!”
“Sorry.”
She plopped onto the mattress, resting her rear end next to Jane’s knees. “The least you could have done was call me, you little bitch! I hate you for making me worry for a whole year!”