Page 14 of Fionn (Starlight Mermen #1 | Starlight Alien Mail Order Brides #7)

Fionn

C arrying her in my arms was the best feeling in the universe.

I swam through the waves on my back, cradling her protectively against my chest. She'd complained at first and I'd let her swim next to me for a while, until she'd given into exhaustion and had finally accepted my help.

She was a proud female. I liked that. She knew her strengths, of which she had many.

Her wittleweed scent mixed with the salt of the ocean. I would pay good money for someone who could bottle that scent for me.

As I swam, I told her stories about Finfolkaheem. I doubted she could hear me, exhausted as she was, but I wanted her to hear my voice and know that she was safe.

The tension in my greenskin told me that land was fast approaching.

"We are almost there," I told Elise.

She was half-asleep. Her eyes were red from the salty water and her skin was flushed from sun exposure.

Her kind was clearly not made for swimming in the ocean all day.

It had taken me a fair while to get us here as I'd taken the calmest route so as not to encounter high waves and dangerous currents.

I'd listened out for Kelon, but hadn't heard anything suspicious.

If he'd taken the fastest route, however, he might already be back on the island.

I couldn't contact my clutch-brothers while holding Elise and swimming. I just had to hope that they would be ready for whatever was to come.

"When we arrive, there will be other finmen," I warned her. "Remember Cerban and Rainse from last night? They are my brothers."

"All aliens?" she asked weakly.

"Yes. Together with Kelon and the captain, there are twenty-five finmen on board the Tidebound."

She coughed. Maybe I should take her to the medbay.

I didn't know enough about Peritan physiology to understand what impact prolonged exposure to saltwater had on their health.

Yes, that was a good idea. Medbay first. Just to make sure.

And if she had been harmed... Kelon would not leave this planet alive.

My clutch-brothers were waiting for us on the beach. When they saw us they waded into the water, meeting me where the waves broke over the soft sand.

"How is she?" Rainse asked, concern clouding his voice. For a moment, the acrid taste of jealousy rose in me, but then I relaxed. He was my brother. He wouldn't take her from me. Not like Kelon. He was a threat. Rainse wasn't.

"Mostly exhausted, I think, but I want to get her checked out in the medbay first. Can you make sure the corridors are clear? I don't want her scared by curious finmen lingering about."

Rainse hurried away while Cerban stayed close by my side, a silent, reassuring presence.

We walked along the beach, Elise still resting against my chest. She was so light.

Peritans were smaller than finfolk, the females especially.

Elise was tall for her kind, but she barely reached to my elbow.

Carrying her on land was no more trouble than pulling her in water.

"Any sign of Kelon?" I asked Cerban quietly so as not to worry Elise. Her eyes were closed but I could tell she wasn't fully asleep.

"Nothing. And the mood on the Tidebound is shifting. Maggnus was not too pleased to disrupt his meal in order to search for a Peritan. I believe that as soon as Kelon returns, the captain and the crew will bring their demands to him."

"They want their own females."

Cerban clicked his tongue. "Yes. And they don't want to wait.

I tried to reassure them that if the dating agency experiment went well, they could all register there.

But they wouldn't listen. They thought they were going to a pleasure planet to blow off some steam, scratch that itch.

They didn't get that. Now they're desperate for females. "

"It's not safe to stay much longer. Should we contact Pam?"

"Maybe. I still hope that the finmen will see sense. Kelon has sway over them. If he intervenes..."

I laughed harshly. "He won't. He's worse than them." I told him how Kelon had abducted Elise and had intended to claim her as his own.

"We should have known. Kelon was always focused on his own needs first, even back in the clutch-school. Remember, he never shared his toys."

"And he'd take the toys of other finboys, not because he wanted them, but out of spite. You are right. We should have known better than to trust him."

The Tidebound came into sight, its camouflage circuits disengaged.

Cerban stopped by the ramp. "I will stay here in case Kelon returns. Call me if you need me."

"Thank you. I hope I won't need to."

I gazed up at the portholes in the side of the ship. Shadows moved behind the glass, curious finmen wanting to know what was going on. I couldn't fault them for it. I'd be the same if I'd been holed up inside the entire time.

"Elise?" I whispered. "We've arrived at our spaceship."

Her eyes flew open. She had to blink a few times. The redness around her eyes was really worrying me now. I had to get her into a medpod as fast as possible.

"Wow," she gasped. "It looks like a giant metal whale."

I stopped for a moment so she could take in the ship and familiarise herself with it.

If things worked out as planned, she'd join me on the Tidebound on our way home to Finfolkaheem.

The matriarchs would huff and curse and complain, but they would accept a female's choice of mate in the end. I just had to get Elise to choose me.

"I will take you to the medbay to get checked over," I explained as I carried her up the ramp and into the belly of the ship. "Just to make sure you did not come to any harm."

"I'm fine. I just need a shower and my eye drops. I'm used to taking them before and after swimming, but I hadn't planned on being without my mask today. I guess I'm going to have to reimburse the resort for losing their equipment."

I sent more nasty thoughts in Kelon's general direction. "No. It was not your fault. I will tell them that Kelon will be responsible for all costs. And if he refuses to pay, I will do so in his stead."

"You?" I loved the way her lips pursed for that ou-sound.

I wanted to lean down and kiss her. But that would be entirely inappropriate.

Didn't make me want it any less, though.

"It had nothing to do with you. Kelon took me, he ripped off my mask and regulator.

You came to help. I'm grateful, but really, you're not responsible for paying for the damage. "

I wanted to argue with her, tell her that from now on, I'd take care of anything she needed, but now that we'd entered the Tidebound, her attention shifted to our surroundings.

"It looks so...organic," she muttered, more to herself than to me. "As if parts of the ship were grown. Are those columns made from corals?"

"No, but they were inspired by a similar underwater plant. It makes them light yet incredibly sturdy both in water and in air. About half of the ship is filled with water, which adds to the weight. Everything else is therefore built to be as light as possible."

Her eyes were wide, taking in everything around us. "A spaceship filled with water... that's incredible."

I tried to see the Tidebound with her eyes. I'd been amazed when I'd first set foot on her, but I was used to finfolk technology. It was all new to Elise.

The corridors were rounded and reminded me of lava tubes.

We were on the lower deck, which was mostly water-based and held the aquaponic gardens, the training pool, the song chamber and the cargo bay, most of which was air-filled.

Underneath us was a deck I'd not set foot on as it was restricted to maintenance and engineering crew only, but I knew it housed the engines as well as a smaller shuttle and escape pods.

I carried Elise into the lift, a brightly lit cocoon that carried us up a deck.

If I followed the corridor to the right, I'd get to the crew quarters - half water, half air - and the galley and mess areas, but I turned left, towards the medbay.

It was surrounded by empty air-filled quarters reserved for the Peritan females we were hoping to bring home.

I didn't mention that to Elise as I explained to her the different rooms we passed. I didn't want to overwhelm her.

"Above us is the upper deck with the bridge and the captain's quarters. It also has a conference room and weapons storage-"

"Weapons?" Elise repeated. "Did you come armed? Are you planning an invasion?"

I chuckled. "No, we're not that kind of aliens. The weapons are only to be used in case we get attacked by space pirates. It's rare in this part of the galaxy, but not impossible."

"Space pirates. I still think I'm dreaming. This is crazy. Next you'll tell me you have a lab where you probe the humans you capture."

"We do not-" I laughed. "Ah. A joke. I hope?"

"I hope so, too. You're not going to probe me, are you?"

"No. The medpod will scan you from top to bottom but unless it finds an injury, the machine won't touch you. Here we are now."

"Where is everyone? It's so empty."

"My brother has made sure that we are undisturbed. I didn't want you to get stared at by strangers. If you do want to meet other finmen later, I will of course facilitate that."

And hate every moment. I wanted to be alone with her, get to know her, talk, admire her beauty, bask in her warmth. I wanted her to realise that we were meant to be together.

But Pam had told us that Peritan females needed time.

They did not have mate bonds like we did.

They could partner with anyone, multiple times, multiple partners.

Some were happy to stay alone forever. As someone who had been denied a mate until I'd taken charge of my own destiny, that thought horrified me.

I wouldn't be alone. I could not. But now I had Elise. My pearl.

"Are you going to set me down now?" Elise asked, sounding a bit more energetic than before.

"This is the medbay. Let me bring you to one of the pods. It will be easier if I lay you into it. They were built for larger aliens than you and me. Even I have to climb up a step to enter them."

The light inside the large circular room was gentle on the eyes and lacked the stark brightness I was used from my local medcentre.

Five pods were arranged in a semi-circle.

We did not have a full-time medic on board, but the second mate, Po'shran, had medical training.

The pods could treat most things and rarely required manual intervention.

The closest pod slid open with a gentle hiss when we approached. The inside was all white, with bioluminescent lights circling the edges.

"Are you sure this is fine to use for humans?" Elise sounded worried.

"Of course. I would never expose you to danger. These pods adjust to whatever species enters them. They have access to a vast database. Thanks to the work of the Intergalactic University, there are detailed entries about Peri-, I mean humans."

"Intergalactic University. I feel like every second word you say is more astonishing than the next."

"I have not been to university," I admitted. "I was assigned to guard training after clutch-school."

"Neither have I. There was never time for it. I had to train every single day of the week and I was away all the time for competitions and training camps. Some days I wish I'd decided differently."

"I believe we all do," I said gently. "No matter what species we are. But it does not help to linger on what could have been. We should always focus on the future instead. And I am certain your future will be wonderful, no matter whether you've been to university or not."

I carefully lowered her into the pod. The smart mattress adjusted to her shape, moulding itself around her.

"Ewwww the mattress is moving!" Elise exclaimed. "Is that supposed to happen?"

I laughed at her expression of disbelief. "Don't worry. This is perfectly normal. For some procedures, the patient needs to be held immobile. But don't fear, you can leave the pod at any time. Just let me know if it becomes too much."

I stepped back and activated the pod. The lid slid shut, only to open again a moment later. An error message flashed on the screen. I cringed.

"Elise... The pod cannot scan through the thick fabric around your body. You will have to undress."