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CHAPTER TWO

DUSK HAD long since passed. Darkness blanketed the land, and, with it, protection from prying eyes. The full moon shone brightly on the rippling waves. Nisha’s head broke the surface and he bobbed in the water, his long hair floating around his shoulders.

A lengthy tail battered the surface in annoyance. Nisha watched the human called Kannon walking along the beach. Sometimes he’d just stop and stare restlessly out over the reflective surface of the ocean, his hands in his back pockets, the water splashing so close to him.

Then he’d started off again. His human seemed sad. And distracted. When the lights of the resort came fully into view, Kannon turned back. Obviously his human wasn’t in the mood for company. Good.

Nisha’s webbed fingers played with the necklace that held several shark teeth around his neck. He dove under the water, his tail slapping the surface. Time and distance had allowed him to see that maybe what he’d done that day to Kannon could’ve been a little scary.

But he’d seen the human in the water, and his scent—that scent called to him. He couldn’t resist that call any more than the tide could resist the moon. If he’d been more rational, he would’ve known his actions would scare the human, but he wasn’t. Rational, that is.

Of all the things he was expecting that day, finding his mate was not one of them. He certainly wasn’t expecting his mate to be human. That, in and of itself, rocked his world. While he didn’t regret finding Kannon, he did wish he’d thought things out better.

The last thing he meant to do was scare Kannon. Not to mention his actions made mating with the human much, much harder. Things would go easier if Kannon came into the water, but if necessary, he’d go onto land to claim what was his.

With a sigh, Nisha gave up any hope Kannon would suddenly throw caution to the wind and venture into the ocean. Nisha watched from the safety of the waves as Kannon returned to the bungalow and eventually went to bed.

Perfect.

He swam to an underwater cave he often used to transform. Once there, he beached himself. Grunting from the pull of gravity, he pulled himself backward until he managed to clear the water. Leaning back on his elbows, he let his weight rest on his arms.

Staring up at the cave’s ceiling, he waited. His body was so much heavier out of the water, and he hated the feeling. His long tail slapped restlessly against the sand. As he waited, he noticed his skin drying out. Finally. Now the fun part starts.

Bracing himself, he waited for the tearing to begin. Within minutes the bottom of his tail tingled, then ripped. Clenching his teeth against the scream that threatened to spill forth, he forced himself to let it happen. The flipper part of his tail split, and the tear continued up his body.

What seemed like ages passed as the two parts separated and slowly morphed into… legs. Fins altered themselves into feet, and the pain of the transformation came to an end. During all this, his long, pointed ears and sharp teeth changed to a more human-like form. The fins near his wrist disappeared too.

He wiggled his toes, flexed his ankles, and bent his knees. He gave his body a few minutes more to adjust as the pain receded. Standing on these two sticks humans called legs, he waited until he adjusted to the sensation of standing on solid land that didn’t move with the current of the ocean.

Taking a step, then another… he grinned. His fingers brushed his naked skin as he searched for the waterproof bag at his hip. Good, it was still there. He made his way up the path that led away from the water and up to the land.

Standing in the cave’s entrance, he checked for any wandering humans. Seeing no one, he set off for a certain bungalow that held what he wanted. Outside the door he looked around, but nothing stirred. He picked the lock and slipped inside.

Quietly he made his way to the bedroom. There he stood staring at the human before him. Such beauty. His human face was a study of perfection. Kannon had a strong jaw and full pouty lips of the palest pink.

A narrow nose graced his face, and a dusting of freckles covered his cheeks. He opened the bag and scooped a small bit of the powdery substance into his hand. Carefully he bent down and blew it into the face of the human.

“Just relax,” Nisha whispered.

The powder that covered Kannon’s face was quickly absorbed into the skin. It was a mixture he made of certain toxins from fish that would leave Kannon in a twilight-type sleep but aware. Kannon’s nose crinkled. He snorted, and then sneezed. Nisha watched as Kannon struggled to lift his arm to rub his nose. Slowly his eyes blinked open.

“Shh. You are fine, mate. Just relax. ”

Kannon squinted. “Who, um… who are you?”

“You know who I am. You’ve only been running from me for fifteen years.”

Kannon gasped, his head tossing back and forth upon the pillow. “But, but, you… you don’t exist.”

Nisha rested his hand on Kannon’s shoulder, and he slowly calmed under Nisha’s touch. Once his human settled down, Nisha lifted the sheet that covered Kannon and exposed his nudity.

Kannon’s partially opened eyes tried to focus on him, and his mouth moved as if he was trying to speak. Nisha moved closer. “Hmm?”

“There’s no such thing as, as… ” Kannon reached up. “As mermen. No such thing, but… so b-beautiful.”

Nisha let Kannon touch his long hair, then wrapped his hand around Kannon’s fingers and lowered them to the bed. “Yes, you are.”

“Meant… meant you.”

“Thank you.” Touched, Nisha patted Kannon’s hand, and then moved back so he could drink in the sight of his human’s body, starting at his toes.

Gods, the freckles were killing him. They were everywhere and so damn sexy. He lifted one of Kannon’s feet. The one closest to the big toe was long, longer than the others. How very interesting. He leaned close and flicked his tongue over it.

A small puff of air escaped Kannon, the sound close to a giggle, and Nisha smiled. “Like that?”

“I… I, oh yes. I do, yes.”

“Want me to continue?”

“Oh God, yes!” Kannon licked his lips. “T-this must be a dream.”

“Make no mistake, Kannon. This is no dream.” Dying to touch, he focused on the dark auburn hair on Kannon’s legs.

He ran his hand up the muscular limb, squeezing the muscles. The soft hair crinkled under his touch, and the muscles twitched under his hands. So strong and hard—so well-defined. Human legs fascinated him.

That wasn’t all that fascinated him. He moved his hands up Kannon’s body until he reached the juncture between pelvis and leg. There, in a nest of auburn curls, lay his cock. He lightly ran his finger down the length. He heard Kannon moan, and his shaft began to rise. How odd for it to lie outside his body.

“Do you want me to continue?” Nisha asked again.

“Please, oh please yes. Touch me.”

Oh, he intended to. Besides, he found all this hair so sexy. For the moment he left Kannon’s cock alone and ran his hands over Kannon’s chest, then up to his shoulders. Here the freckles were much more abundant.

He promised himself that at some point he’d take the time and connect the dots… with his tongue. Kannon’s arms were lightly muscled and covered in a fine dusting of auburn hair. Even his hands were interesting. Kannon’s long fingers and short nails intrigued Nisha.

Nisha’s hands roamed over Kannon’s body, and Kannon shuddered. “So good, so good.”

Nisha slowly moved back to Kannon’s chest and the freckles there. A few dark auburn hairs circled his little brown nipples. His fingers trailed closer, and then plucked at a nub, toying with it until it hardened to a stiff little point.

A soft sigh escaped Kannon’s lips. “Oh, oh, that’s so nice. So good.”

Wanting to get closer, Nisha moved onto Kannon’s bed and leaned over, drawing a nipple into his mouth. His necklace fell forward and rubbed against Kannon’s chest making them both jump.

“Holy crap, what… w-what was that?”

“Just my necklace. Nothing to worry about.” Nisha gently sucked the nub, pulling it farther into his mouth as his other hand rolled Kannon’s neglected nipple.

“Ooh,” Kannon whispered.

Nisha released the hard little peak and brushed a hand down Kannon’s chest toward his groin. Wrapping a hand around Kannon’s shaft, he stroked, the insistent urge to taste nearly overwhelming him. Giving in, he leaned even closer and kissed the dome-shaped head. His tongue licked across the slit.

“Mmm.” Kannon tried to thrust his hips.

Nisha chuckled softly. Kannon moaned his displeasure when he couldn’t move, and Nisha smiled. His mate was very responsive, it seemed, and he loved that. It would make things interesting later.

He rolled Kannon over onto his stomach and arranged his arms on either side of his head. He turned Kannon’s head gently so he wouldn’t be face down on the mattress. Reaching under Kannon, he made sure his erection was comfortable, then settled between Kannon’s legs.

Oh would you look at that. Delighted, he studied the birthmark on Kannon’s left ass cheek. It was the size of a dime, reddish-brown, and perfectly shaped like a heart.

“You have the cutest little birthmark on your ass.” Nisha couldn’t resist placing a kiss on the mark. The skin might be soft, but Kannon’s ass was taut. Unable to resist, he spread Kannon’s cheeks apart and blew softly.

“Ahhh,” Kannon groaned, and chill bumps exploded across his skin.

The small puckered hole quivered. Quickly he stuck his finger in his mouth and wetted it as much as possible, then gently eased it inside Kannon, searching for his hot spot.

“Aw, jeez, burns,” Kannon mumbled.

Well, he couldn’t have that. He wanted this to feel good, not hurt, so he needed to give Kannon something else to focus on. Withdrawing his finger, he managed to get Kannon onto his back and then arranged Kannon’s legs how he wanted them. He swallowed Kannon’s cock and then eased his finger back inside Kannon’s ass.

Nisha raised his head as he continued to bang Kannon’s hot spot with his finger. Kannon tightened on his finger, and he knew his mate was close to coming. “Nisha. My name is Nisha. Know my name as you come for me.”

“N-N-Nisha!” Kannon wailed as come shot across his abs.

Nisha eased his finger out from Kannon’s ass and released his softening dick. “Very good. Very, very good. Next time, though, you will beg for me. Sleep now, my mate.”

With one last kiss, Nisha cleaned up the evidence that Kannon had come. He draped the blanket back over his mate and left.

NISHA WALKED from the bungalow. Off to the side he noticed another figure waiting for him on the beach. Well now, this could be interesting.

“Nisha, a moment, please.” Brett stood a few paces away.

“What can I do for you?” Nisha stepped into the moonlight.

“Is he okay?”

Nisha swallowed the first smart-assed remark that came to mind. He reminded himself, yet again, this was Kannon’s friend. “Of course he is. He’s my mate. As such, that means I am incapable of harming him.”

“Yes, but… I…” Brett swallowed heavily.

Nisha crossed his arms over his naked chest. Even though he was nude, except for the waterproof pouch, he wasn’t embarrassed. Nudity was no big deal among his kind. “You know this. You are, after all, mated to my sister, Brooke.”

Brett ran his hand through his hair. “I know! It’s just… He’s my best friend. What happened all those years ago really messed him up.”

“I know that, and I deeply regret it. That doesn’t explain why you’re out here waiting for me on the beach. Or why you’re outside his bungalow prowling around.”

“He didn’t show up tonight, and I… I…” Brett sighed. “I was just going to check on him, but I saw the lights were out. I was getting ready to leave when I heard him yell. It took a second for me to realize it was a yell of pleasure… then I knew what was going on. You picked the lock to get in, I take it?”

“Yes. If you knew it was a yell of pleasure, what exactly do you want to talk to me about?”

“I would ask one thing, and listen to my reasoning, please.”

“Then speak, but tread carefully.”

Brett took a deep breath. “I mean no disrespect, but God, Nisha, did you use that damn powder on him like Brooke did on me?”

“That ‘damn powder,’ as you call it, makes things easier.”

“Jesus God, no it doesn’t! Did you forget how I reacted? That powder takes away a human’s ability to consent. Not to mention you broke in! Consent is a very big thing with us, Nisha, and Kannon was unable to consent to any of that in there! I’m sure you’re going to find out at some point just how he feels about that.”

“I don’t see—”

“Yeah. I know. You don’t see, but that’s… well, that’s going to come back on you, but… Do you plan to claim him immediately? Have you already? I know you just came from his bungalow.”

A low growl sounded from Nisha. “Careful, Brett.”

Brett took a step back, and then caught himself. “Dammit, Nisha, don’t growl at me. I know you want to claim him, but you need to give him time.”

“Time? I waited fifteen years, isn’t that enough? I swear, you humans are endlessly aggravating.”

“Oh, don’t get me started. You want to talk about aggravating? Let me tell you about aggravating —”

Nisha held up a hand to stop the words pouring from Brett’s lips. “Yes, yes, I know. Save the lecture on how your species and mine do not think alike. I’m aware. I’m also going to give him time. Why else do you think I’m not carrying him out with me now?”

“Okay, okay. I just… I remember how freaked out I was after finding out about Brooke. I know he’s your mate, and I know you won’t hurt him, so I’ll stop worrying about this,” Brett said.

“There was nothing to worry about to begin with.” Nisha turned back toward the bungalow. “How long is he scheduled to stay?”

“Just until Saturday. He’ll probably leave after the ceremony or the next day at the latest.”

“Then I will give him until the wedding.”

“Oh, fuck a duck!” Brett yelled. “What part of ‘giving him time’ did you not understand?”

“Lower your voice,” Nisha snapped. “This is not up for debate. He has a few days, Brett. At the end of that time, I will claim him. In the meantime I will try to get him accustomed to me.”

“Jesus, a few days.” Brett sighed. “I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I? Fine. Just remember I tried to warn you. And, and… he has no one now. His dad died not long ago.”

Nisha frowned. Brett was really pushing, which was a first. “I’m sorry to hear that. It appeared he and his father had a close relationship. Of course I’m just guessing. I had, um, other things on my mind that day.”

“I bet.” Brett laughed, then sobered. “They were close, but they grew apart after that summer. They didn’t have anything in common. Kannon left for college, later he graduated… and they just never reconnected, I guess you could say.”

“Then that’s my fault. I am sorry for that. Since you seem to be worried, I will tell you this. If it wasn’t for his dad that day, I would have taken Kannon then. I knew he would return, and I’ve waited for him. He is mine to care for, and I will. I want him to be content. Now, this discussion is at an end. Stop worrying over my human, Brett.”

“Okay, okay! I just want him to be happy.”

“He will be.”