Merlicious 2

by Diane Merlin, Alexis Ke, Cara North

  "But...” Morgan looked to Justin who basically collapsed from the long swim and the sea of emotions they shared at the news.

  "Your sea legs were taken so you could not conceive in the water, yet you returned and that is where you conceived. Your child will have to be born here.” Merlina shook her head and expressed concern. “No, you will not lose your child to the sea. But it will need to feel this water, to be a part of it, until the child decides."

  "Jesus,” Justin whispered in exhaustion.

  "It will be all right, the man-child will be just fine.” Merlina gave her sister a smile. Still holding Morgan's abdomen, “The merchild will be the one you have to worry about."

  "Wait a second, how many children do you think are in there?” Justin pulled up to his knees and began dusting sand from his chest. The conversation he heard in Morgan's mind was so unreal he had to make sure he was hearing it correctly.

  "Two.” Merlina turned to face him. “A male from the first mating, a female from today."

  "How can she get pregnant on two different days?” Justin asked in disbelief.

  "We all conceive on the first mating. But anytime she mates in water, she will repopulate our species. How do you think we all got here?” Merlina looked over his shoulder at the women of the sea.

  Justin turned to see a full audience of heads at varying distances. Not one of them was male. “But she said to tell ‘them'—are there no men in the sea?"

  "No. Our father was a sailor. Our mother mated him twice before killing him.” Merlina sighed. “Morgan is the first to test the legends. Several of the women you see here are our sisters. Different fathers, of course. We live hundreds of years in the ocean, but she will live a mortal life now."

  Justin stared at the waves and the sea of women looking back at him. They were smiling, some waving. Morgan explained why. They now had hope. They now knew that if they allowed the human male to remove the pleasure pearls on land they would be given a soul, a chance at love, at a mortal life. His heart broke with the knowledge that he would have to live near the sea until his daughter found a mate. He would not allow another one of his children be conceived in the ocean. Morgan was definitely grounded.

  "I agree.” She spoke aloud as he finished his thoughts. Then she walked to him and placed her hand on his sun-warmed back and kissed his shoulder. “I am sorry."

  "No.” Justin turned to her. “It changes plans, but not the way I feel for you. Or them.” He placed the hand with the pearls wrapped around onto her abdomen.

  Morgan and Merlina both sighed with relief.

  Chapter Eight

  "So what do you like to eat?” Justin looked into the refrigerator and thought about it.

  "No seafood.” Morgan smiled.

  "No.” Justin laughed. “How about cows, do you think you could eat steak?"

  "I'll eat anything you make. Will you teach me to use all this stuff?” Morgan traced her hands over the kitchen appliances. “Get that out of your mind right now, buster!"

  Justin laughed. He needed to practice shielding his thoughts. Morgan was already getting better at keeping some thoughts private. “What? A woman, barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen is a rare species these days. Even more so than a mermaid."

  "So that is why land dwelling women cut their men off from mating.” Morgan smirked. “Smart mouths."

  "I'm an excellent cook though. There is no need for you to learn how to operate anything other than me,” Justin conceded.

  "Shameless man!” Morgan laughed.

  "You tell me what you want to know, and I will teach you how to use it.” Justin smiled. “Like this countertop for example. It's sturdy, flat and comes right to my waist."

  "So?” Morgan stepped closer to examine the marble countertop.

  Justin slid his arms around her and inhaled the scent of her shampooed hair. The long curls trailed to her knees and brushed against his thighs. In a heartbeat, he stripped off his shorts and could feel the soft tendrils against his entire front side. His erection nuzzled against her butt cheeks. His hands came around to caress her breasts beneath the t-shirt.

  Morgan's breath hitched, and she pressed back against him. “You're not hungry?"

  "I'm starving,” Justin replied and playfully nipped her neck.

  "Then show me how to cook steak.” Morgan pressed back against him as she said the words.

  "In two minutes.” Justin lifted the t-shirt with one hand and found her opening with the other. “You can't get pregnant again can you?"

  Morgan laughed. “No. Two will be enough for a while. But we will have to be careful after they are born."

  Justin circled her clit, cutting her laugh short, making it a moan. Then he pressed the head of his cock against her slick opening. “This won't take long."

  "I sense that,” Morgan rasped. She closed her eyes and felt his urgency.

  As Justin sheathed himself inside her, he relished the feel of being whole. It was more than making love with Morgan; it was as essential to his life as air was to his next breath. She was his other half, and he only felt fully complete when they were joined in the most intimate way. The rest of the time became the moments leading up to that instance when he connected with her again. They merged, mind, body and soul.

  "Deeper.” Morgan pressed against him. “Yes. Justin, yes."

  "Come for me, Morgan, please,” he begged. His finger circled her clit in desperation for her to achieve climax with or before him.

  "Justin!” Morgan cried as he sank into her over and over, stretching the orgasm out to unbearable lengths, then he released his own.

  "I love you,” Justin said as he slumped against her.

  "I love you too. Now feed me before we starve.” Morgan nuzzled against him and smiled.

  Chapter Nine

  Justin held his son on his hip and watched as his daughter learned to swim using her fins with her aunt and two cousins. Morgan sat on the beach and watched her family. Shawn and Serena were born nine months to the day after they were conceived. Serena was unlike any other mer-child ever born. She had the ability to change at will. At first, they thought she was a human child. She had legs and feet at birth. But one day in the bathtub, she splashed her daddy and brother with a set of fins then smiled and cooed as though she knew what she had done.

  Morgan and Justin feared that she would need to be in the water, like all mer-children, so they came back to the island. Now that she was four, they realized Serena was not a mer-child, or a human; she was both. She was a new species. That revelation made her father happy since he wouldn't have to stand vigil at the ocean's edge to see his baby girl.

  Justin turned and waved. The past five years had been magical. He now had two beautiful children and a wife. Morgan ruled the company with an iron fist. His grandfather would have been proud. His family was shocked at his return with a new bride in tow but quickly realized that Morgan had a way of communicating that enlightened her mate to every word said around her. He had regained more than his hearing, though he only heard through Morgan. He had regained his life and the ability to communicate with a group of people that had at first chosen not to learn sign language, but now learned so they could talk to him and avoid Morgan's wrath.

  He loved to see her in action though.

  "Give Shawn to Merlina, and I'll show you some action.” Morgan invaded his thoughts.

  Smiling, he called for his sister-in-law who swam up with Serena right behind her.

  "Can you watch them for about an hour?” Justin blushed as he asked.

  Merlina winked and transformed her lower half to human legs then took the child.

  "Come on everyone, move closer to the land.” Merlina called and three little mermaids followed.

  "You don't want to leave the ocean?” Justin asked of Merlina.

  "No. But their father doesn't either. He's a fisherman. And I think he likes playing sailor catches the mermaid.” Merlina laughed. “But these will be our only two."

  Justin laug
hed.

  As he approached the beach, Morgan stood and her round belly, just beginning to show, peeked out from the t-shirt she wore.

  "You are beautiful like that.” Justin stepped in to her dry body and dripped ocean water all over her as he hugged her.

  "And you look like a man of the ocean like that.” Morgan smiled. “Now let's go test out that counter, my love."

  The End

  The Young and the Restless

  A Mermalicious Tail

  by

  Alexis Ke

  Zion is exiled to land and accused of murder. He'll have to trust Tatyana to rescue him. Will her love be enough to save him?

  www.alexiske.com

  Also by Alexis Ke from www.midnightshowcase.com

  Melange Digest—An Itsy Bitsy Spider Tale

  The Young and the Restless

  A Mermalicious Tail

  by

  Alexis Ke

  Chapter One

  "Did I not tell you to be quiet?” Neptune's voice vibrated through the lyceum.

  Many times before when he'd been this angry, he'd stomped and caused earthquakes that sent tsunamis across the land.

  "But—"

  "Silence!"

  A wave pushed Zion down into a bow.

  "You were warned not once, but twice. Why do you defy me?” Neptune's voice carried sorrow, grief and anger.

  Zion opened his mouth, closed it and lowered his head when Neptune raised his trident.

  "I will only tell you this once more.” Neptune's tail waved, and the water parted before him. “We do not belong on the land. It is not that we can't go there but that it has been done with proportional disasters. Your place is here, among your own people. Do not, and I mean do not, question my authority again. You will not like my wrath."

  Zion lowered his head in seeming submission, turned and swam to the far side of the sea to brood. No one understood him. No one cared about the future. Only Zion had the vision of walking among the land lovers. Only Zion dreamed of finding the secrets his people had hidden from them for so many years. And, by golly, he was going to find them.

  "Wrath indeed. How dare that pompous old fool tell me what I can and can't do?” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

  Immediately, his head began to spin. The pressure became almost unbearable. It was like the time he swam to the shore and watched the others as they played on the beach. He'd stayed topside too long and become water hungry. But why was it happening now? He was nowhere near the white sandy beach he longed to walk on. Water surrounded him. The dizziness flooded his sensations, alarming him.

  "I must get help.” His words were garbled, even to him. Muffled. His vision went black and his eyes fluttered then closed before he could summon help.

  * * * *

  "Give him some room!"

  "Where's the oxygen? Is he breathing?"

  "Does anyone know CPR?"

  Voices floated around his head. Zion tried to turn over and felt a sharp pain shoot through his body. The loud groan that pierced the air came from his throat. His head hurt, and he couldn't distill the strange sounds wafting in and out of his mind. Sirens? Yes, sirens.

  "Give him some room,” a voice said again. “What happened, man?"

  Zion forced his eyes open, blinked away the grit and salty water and stared out into the faces of the people pooling around him.

  "What happened?” he coughed out. “Where—” He didn't recognize his own voice. The strange syllables and sounds he understood but didn't know why. Was it not his native tongue?

  "Get these people out of my way.” A woman's voice rang out over the crowd.

  People began to move back, opening a wide berth around Zion as he lay on the beach. “Get something to throw over him—a blanket, anything."

  Zion glanced down at his body. He was nude. He moved his gaze up to the woman who started shouting orders that everyone obeyed without question.

  "What's going on?” His throat hurt. His voice sounded harsh and dry.

  "You tell me.” She kneeled down beside him. Her gaze traveled down and back up the length of him. “Anyone ever tell you this is not a nude beach?” She glanced at the lifeguards and laughed. “Shucks, this whole country is no-nudity in public. A shame too.” She glanced back at his body, trailed her gaze up his muscled legs and expertly sculptured hips, stopping briefly at the junction of his thighs and continuing to his face.

  The people burst into loud laughter.

  "What's your name?"

  Zion stared into her eyes, blinked and shook his head.

  "You deaf? I said, what's your name?” She spoke in a slow and deliberate manner. “I'm Detective Tatyana Selbie.” She glanced over her shoulder toward the lifeguard. “Where did you say you found him?"

  The lifeguard pointed to the edge of the water near the rocks that jutted out from the beach.

  "He say anything?"

  The lifeguard shook his head. “Naw, he's just now coming around. Might be hurt. He moaned when he tried to sit up."

  She glanced back at Zion. “Are you hurt?"

  Zion nodded a slow movement of the head. Confusion swept over him. His chest began to tighten, and the same dizziness as before swam through his head and blanketed his body. He opened his mouth, took a deep breath and let it out in one harsh rush. He took another. “Where am I?"

  "Ah, he speaks.” Detective Selbie glanced over her shoulder. “What's your name?"

  Again, Zion stared up into her eyes. They were the most comforting things he could find at the moment. Soft, warm, dark and mysterious. He closed his eyes, waited a beat and reopened them. Fear washed over him, but when he saw her eyes, it oozed away drip by drip. Anyone with eyes like that couldn't be bad. “I don't know.” His voice shook. He brought his hand up and rubbed his forehead.

  "Huh?” She glanced at the lifeguard. “Did he hit his head?"

  "Maybe. He was out when we found him."

  "Okay, fella. We're going to get you to the hospital. Get you checked out."

  "What's a hos—hospital?"

  "Oh, now this is just great.” She stood up and waved the ambulance attendant over. “Let's get him checked out."

  Detective Tatyana Selbie stood back and watched the medics and lifeguards lift the man onto the stretcher and then into the back of the ambulance. Her gaze traveled the length of him, stopping briefly to meet his eyes.

  She shook her head. “Why is it whenever there is a fine specimen of a man lying about he's either gay or crazy?” she mumbled. “This one's probably as crazy as a loon.” For once, she wished he were gay. She'd rather such a gorgeous looking man be with another man than in the psych ward at Eastern State.

  * * * *

  Tatyana paced the hall leading to the emergency department. It had been over an hour since they brought in her man. She didn't even know why she waited. Getting a statement from him was out of the question. She walked over to the soda machine, dug five quarters out of her pocket and dropped them into the slot. She pressed the button for a Pepsi and grabbed it from the bottom. Popping the cap, she took one long swig, turned and paced back to the door leading to the patient rooms.

  "How much longer before I can speak to the doc?” she asked the receptionist.

  "I'll check.” The receptionist picked up the phone, spoke quietly and then hung up. “He's coming out in a minute to talk to you.” She turned back to the files on the desk.

  Tatyana lifted the drink to her mouth and took a swallow before the door opened, and a doctor strolled out.

  "Detective Selbie?"

  Tatyana nodded and walked up to the doctor. She flipped out her badge for him to see.

  "What can you tell me about my patient?” The doctor steered her toward a chair.

  "You're asking me? I was hoping you could give me some information."

  "Not much to give you. He's got one bruised rib, a banged up shoulder and a concussion. Whatever he hit, he hit it pretty hard."

  "Would that ac
count for him not knowing who he is?"

  The doctor twisted his mouth to the side. “Yeah, probably. It's a pretty bad concussion. It's the first case of total amnesia I've seen. I would like to keep him overnight, but—"

  She looked at him in question.

  "Can't get a court order to do so. He doesn't seem unstable, but I hate to turn him out to the streets tonight."

  "Can't you get him placement in a shelter?” Tatyana shifted from one foot to the other.

  "This time of night? He'd be better off sleeping at the bus station."

  Tatyana blew out a breath. “Can I see him?"

  "Sure. Just be aware, I don't think you'll get far."

  "Could he be faking? Hiding something?"

  "Oh sure, but I don't think so. He took a pretty good hit on the head.” The doctor took Tatyana's arm and steered her toward the back to Zion's room. “You're going to take him off my hands, I take it?"

  "Not sure just yet.” She tucked her tongue into her cheek and sighed.

  "I'll go and get his discharge instructions, just in case.” The doctor gave a knowing smile, turned and left the room.

  Tatyana walked over and stood at the foot of the bed, glaring down at Zion as he lay there motionless, staring out into space.

  "You ready to tell me your name?"

  Zion opened his eyes, blinked and stared at Tatyana. A minute passed before he spoke. “I don't know."

  He pushed up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. When he swayed, Tatyana reached out and grabbed him around the shoulders to steady his movement.

  "Careful now,” she said, her voice quiet. “Don't want you hurting yourself again."

  Zion slowly moved his gaze up to her face. “What's going to happen to me?"

  "Well, first we got to find you a place to bunk.” She looked at him, shook her head and clarified, “Sleep. Can't keep you here."

  "Okay.” He drew his words out slowly. “And then can I go home?"

  "And where is that?” Tatyana's voice raised an octave.

  Again, Zion shook his head. “I don't know. What's happening to me? Why can't I remember?” His breath came out in short erratic bursts.