Seascape Read online

  “Elanna, I need you to listen carefully to what I am saying.”

  “Your eyes are glowing,” she informed him.

  “That happens when I am angry,” he returned. “Now listen to what I am saying.”

  “Pinkie wasn’t wearing a bra,” she again added. “But I guess she won’t sag because the water holds them up.”

  She nodded as if she had just made an important discovery.

  Storm sighed. The drug was taking effect again. He supposed her adrenaline rush had countered some of what she had ingested, but now the drug was taking over again.

  “I am going to take you home with me, Elanna. And to do that, I must place my mouth over yours.”

  “No way!” she giggled. “You have shark teeth, and I want to keep my tongue, thank you very much! I’ll breathe on my own!”

  “Elanna, you are not equipped to breathe under water.”

  “Neither are you, Fish Boy!” she giggled. “If you were, you would have gills!”

  “I have a filter in my nose,” he sighed.

  “Oh good! Get me one too, and then we can go under the sea together! Under the sea!”

  She released her grip on him to clap her hands and sank like a brick.

  Shaking his head, Storm reached below the water and got a handful of her wonderfully different hair. With a small tug, she again popped to the surface, her eyes wide open and staring.

  “I was born with my filter, Elanna. We will have to share.”

  She blinked rapidly, getting the stinging salt water out of her eyes, but nodded solemnly.

  “I like to share,” she said. “I would like to share a lot with you, but you don’t have a dick!”

  “A what?” he asked, his face scrunched up in confusion.

  “A dick, a schlong, a pecker, a woody, a stiffy, a rod, a staff, a one-eyed monster, tube steak, trouser snake, a booty love stick!”

  “A what?” he asked, his voice rising in astonishment. She didn’t mean what he thought she meant, did she?

  “A penis! A male reproductive organ! I would share, but you don’t have one. Does this mean I have a fish fetish?”

  She actually looked worried for a moment.

  “Uh, Elanna, you are intoxicated!”

  It was all he could think of to say! The woman was out of her mind! Why would she want to share…intimacies with a Merman? She didn’t know anything about him! She had no idea what Merfolk reproduction entailed.

  And suddenly she was the sexiest bundle of flesh he had ever held in his arms!

  Damn, the idea of educating her was so tempting, but he had to see what damage she had done to herself first!

  “I am stoned!” she whispered rather loudly in his ear. “And I am going to go home with you. That’s okay, though. I don’t have a home and I can share with you.”

  She gave him a lopsided grin as she blinked up at him.

  “Okay, Elanna,” he said as he tried to tear his eyes away from the sensuality expressed in her eyes, the set of her lips, the positioning of her body. “I’m going to take you home with me, and to do that I must place my mouth over yours.”

  “You won’t bite?” she asked in all seriousness.

  “No, I won’t bite.” Not until you are sober and ask me to, he added silently.

  Sex with a human was looking more intriguing all of the time.

  “Okay. I trust you, Storm,” she sighed as she wrapped both arms around his neck, nestling into him, trusting him to keep her safe.

  Storm felt his heart lurch at her words, words so like another’s, who had wrapped herself trustingly around him and waited for him to make the world right. Someone he had let down and ultimately lost.

  “Close your eyes, Elanna,” he quietly instructed, his thoughts sobering him. “We are going to dive very deeply and very quickly. You must not struggle. I will keep you safe.”

  That said, he slowly bent his head towards her, felt the heat wafting up from her body, saw the trust in her beautiful brown eyes before she let her lids drop.

  Taking a deep breath, he placed his lips over hers, startled for a moment at the softness of her skin. Then he drew in a breath, making a seal around their mouths.

  Again inhaling deeply, testing the connection, he hugged her close to his body, and dove.

  Chapter Nine

  Sting stretched out almost flat in the water, his one black eye piercing and direct as he swiftly and stealthily moved towards the island.

  There was a bag to retrieve, probably sealskin, and gray.

  His purpose—to remove the bag from the beach, return it to the male, Storm, and force his future mate to agree to a speedy ceremony.

  Simple, for a man of his talents.

  The two fires on the beach puzzled him, but as he drew closer to the sandy shore, he spent more time avoiding sharp rocks and hidden boulders lying just beneath the surface of the water.

  Storm had to be crazy, or very smart, to stash his future mate here.

  Even Amadala would not think to search this dangerous shore to intimidate a woman interested in Storm.

  Why this was so important to her, he had no idea. But he was determined to find out.

  Speaking of the witch, he thought as he heard her moving towards him.

  He slowly shook his head, his long black hair waving in the water around him, as he paused for her approach.

  Shaking his head in disgust, he noted that she used no stealth, no skill when approaching an unknown area. The Royal Highness just splashed through, expecting nothing to get in her royal way.

  “Lady, you need to be more discreet when you travel.”

  “Why?” she growled as she moved to his side, cursing as she snagged her fins on a particularly sharp rock. “It’s not like a boatload of sailors are out looking for a good time!”

  Sting sighed and shook his head sadly before turning to face her.

  “That is not the issue, lady. You are my queen and my mate, and you must be protected at all costs.”

  “Let’s get one thing straight, buddy,” Amadala growled as she tossed her pink hair over her shoulders. “You don’t own me! I am still going to mate with Storm, whether he likes it or not! There will never be a time when I pass rulership over to you so I can breed the next generation!”

  “But Amadala,” Sting said quietly, his one eye piercing in its intensity, “the council has decided.”

  “To the land dwellers with the council!” she hissed. “I am queen! All will obey my dictates.”

  “You are such a bitch!” Sting said quietly, but with feeling.

  Amadala stopped mid tirade!

  “What did you call me?” she hissed, as she narrowed her eyes into tiny pink slits and glared at him with all the frustration contained within her body.

  “A bitch,” he returned. “A human term that quite fits you.”

  “I know what a bitch is,” she snarled as she moved closer to him.

  “Good, then desist in acting like one.”

  Amadala’s mouth opened and closed silently, a testament to her anger, but looked rather like…a fish out of water.

  Before she could regroup for the next attack, he again stopped her with his words.

  “Storm does not want you. He would mate with a human to be rid of you. He is also very angry with the high council, and I suspect is a Child of Triton, and therefore a dangerous man. I understand your desire for such a man to pass the mantle of leadership to when your time comes to reproduce, but that man is not Storm.”

  “You do not know what is best for me!” she exclaimed, stung at his words.

  “I know it is not in your best interests to pressure a man capable of creating storms with his mere thoughts. And I know if you persist in manipulating him, your health may become an issue.”

  “Storm would never…”

  “Storm is carrying some deep-seated pain, Amadala. And something is bringing it to the surface. Why he played flunky for you all of these years is a matter for him to know. But it is clear that
it is a role he no longer desires to possess. Therefore, Queen Amadala, tomorrow, Storm will be matched with his human counterpart, and you and I will become one.”

  “What makes you think that Storm, even if he mates with this…human, will not rush to my aid? He has been my loyal servant for years! Nothing will change that! He can flick you away as easily as a bottom feeder tosses gravel.”

  “Well, Amadala,” Sting said calmly as he closed the small distance between the two of them. “He did not rush to your aid a few moments ago, before his announcement. And, dear Amadala, I believe the fact that he left me to deal with you proves he no longer wants the job. And lastly, Amadala, my future mate, I am also a Child of Triton, and possess my own brand of magic.”

  With that, he easily gripped her upper arms in a firm yet gentle grip and began to lower his head towards her.

  He’s going to kiss me, Amadala thought as her eyes widened in…she didn’t know what! They just widened in reaction!

  The cool water acted as a conductor, swirling warm water heated by his body, towards her, making her shiver as though the essence of him was surrounding her.

  She felt her arms begin to tremble, to test the strength he so easily controlled, as his fingers hit erogenous nerves in her arms.

  The sight of his darkly handsome face, coming closer to her, was almost more than her heart could bear.

  It beat, pounding in her chest, her breath caught as she inhaled the seawater scent of him, deep within her body, making her senses jump in excitement.

  Slowly, his eye closed, the long lashes resting against his cheek, as he came closer, closer, closer!

  Then she was flying through the air to land with a splash several feet behind him, clear of the rocks, and yet close enough to reach in an emergency.

  Sting spared her not a glance as he slowly lowered his arms, ignoring the curses she spat at his back.

  He had a job to do, and he didn’t have time for her female foolishness.

  With one hand, he flipped the eye-patch up, and using the energy from the duel burning fires, he silently aimed his left hand in the direction of the pouch.

  Flipping his arm, palm up, he made a come-hither motion with his fingers, and the pouch suddenly lifted and shot in his direction.

  Amadala gasped, her curses halted, as she watched the pouch float slowly towards him.

  Seconds later, it rested neatly in his hand and he turned to confront his mate.

  “How did you do that?” she croaked, shocked by the repercussions this meant.

  “I already told you,” he said as he lowered the patch again, hiding the silver glint that seemed to sparkle in his perfectly normal looking eye. “I am a Child of Triton.”

  “But,” she stuttered. “But you are not named for an element!” she wailed almost in despair.

  “You never want to know why they call me Sting,” he replied as he fastened the pouch around his waist. “And if demonstration hour is over, we must get to Storm and his mate. She may be more seriously injured than we thought.”

  Still in shock, Amadala followed Sting, not knowing if she should be impressed or frightened.

  But she had learned one thing! She had better watch her fins where Sting was concerned. There might be some way to get out of mating with him yet, but there would be no more rash decisions on her part. They only put her in more hot water.

  * * * * *

  Elanna felt Storm draw the breath from her lungs as he suddenly plunged into the deep dark sea.

  She only had time to close her eyes and emit a small squeak of protest, when suddenly the water was rushing over her head, sliding over her body, encompassing her in its almost oily warmth.

  Her arms reflexively tightened around Storm, plastering her breasts against his chest, the thin barrier of her torn blouse not enough to protect her from the tingling heat of his body.

  She sucked in a scared breath and felt his chest move suddenly with her motion, fresh oxygen flooding her body.

  He was breathing for her, with her, she realized in amazement.

  Then she noticed his strong arms surrounding her, protecting her as they plunged deeper into the water.

  His muscles shifted with his movements, and being pressed so tightly against him, she had no choice but to feel each muscle move and slide under his smooth firm skin.

  She sighed and felt his chest expand with her movements.

  This is a dream, she thought to herself as she felt the temperature in the water drop, but not alarmingly so. This is my first kiss from a Merman! And he’s not cutting me with his teeth.

  Her fuzzy mind latched onto the one thought that Storm was protecting her, as time began to slip away.

  She felt almost detached, awash in a sea of new sensations, of being totally cared for, of having her senses expand in new and different ways.

  She resisted the urge to wrap her legs around his…

  He didn’t have legs!

  If he didn’t have legs, what was that bulge between their bodies?

  That growing bulge between their bodies!

  She had no chance to ponder this particular line of questioning, for suddenly they were moving swiftly upwards, hurtling towards the sky.

  With a mighty splash, they exploded for the water, sending crystalline droplets all around them.

  Storm broke his connection to Elanna with a pop, but still kept his arms around her, supporting her in the water, keeping her safe.

  “Where…where…where are…we?” she gasped as her lungs fought to take over the breathing for her body once again.

  “In a cave,” Storm replied, giving her the short answer.

  “Why?” she managed, as she tried to turn her head to see around the cave.

  It was pitch-black and quite cool, but the air was fresh and sweet.

  Her head was still spinning, and she drunkenly held onto Storm, the only still solid thing in her topsy-turvy world.

  “Ah, housekeeping?” he said, as he pulled one arm from around her waist to brush her hair back from her face.

  She may have had trouble seeing, but he was perfectly sighted in the dark.

  “Housekeeping?” she asked, her breathing still rough and her voice reedy.

  “Housekeeping,” he affirmed. Then almost as an afterthought, “Ah, welcome home?”

  Chapter Ten

  “I feel sick,” Elanna mumbled as she lay shivering against the cold damp stones of the cavern.

  “You ingested something, Elanna, and it will expel itself soon,” he said. “Or I’ll force it out of you,” he mumbled, sure that she didn’t want to hear that comment.

  “I’m cold.” She shivered, teeth rattling as her body sought to warm itself.

  “When they return with the pouch, I’ll have you warm and dry.”

  “How?” she giggled, still feeling lightheaded. “You don’t have any legs.”

  “Want me to grow some?” he asked, rolling his eyes at her. All of this cuteness was distracting! He had to figure out a way to get Amadala and Sting mated so he and Elanna could part easily. He’d say they were just too different. Who could argue with that? he decided as he watched her long bare legs tremble in the dim light.

  “Can you?” she asked, eyes wide, voice filled with innocent wonder. “Can I watch them grow? Is it like, evolution? Wow!”

  “No, I can’t grow legs!” he snorted, glaring at her now.

  “Not even a third one?” she snickered.

  “A what?” he asked. Humans had only two legs, right?

  “A third leg, a dick, a pecker…”

  “I remember!” he cut her off, shaking his head.

  “So you have a third leg! Can I see it?”

  “No!” he all but shouted, a blush staining the skin of his face. He could blush? That has never happened to me before, he thought with disgust.

  “But I feel like playing with it!” she moaned as her hormones took a jump at the thought of a muscular Storm. Well, he did have a nice upper body, and there were studies c
onducted that proved weight training and other strenuous exercises, such as swimming, had a positive and direct impact on male sexual performance!

  Damn it, she was curious! She wanted to see!

  “Play with yourself!” he all but snarled as he watched her large liquid eyes stare at him.

  He cleared his throat nervously and tried to look away from her shivering body, but his mind began to drift.

  Would she shiver with passion as he plunged?

  “I did, and it wasn’t worth it!”

  “Excuse me?” he choked, her words drawing him back to the present.

  “I got a vibrator ‘cause I wanted to see what an orgasm was like. You know, sex is overrated! I mean, he had fun, but I was left with a wet ass and wet spot!”

  “What?” he cried, his face scrunched up in a strange almost impossible expression.

  “He was bad!” she called out as the subject seemed to warm her body a bit.

  “Bad?”

  “Rotten! Miserable! NBA—no balling asshole!”

  “Oh.” What was he supposed to say now? What was balling, anyway?

  “And I tried my best, Storm!” she sniffled as her big eyes began to fill with liquid.

  She was lying there in the rags of her clothing, her hair a sodden mass on top of her head, shivering as if her skeleton was about to hop out, and he found himself terribly aroused by her!

  He needed help!

  “It’s, uh, not your fault?” he tried to soothe, but it came out more like a question.

  “Damn right it wasn’t my fault!” she shouted, her tears suddenly drying up. He found her anger even more appealing.

  “I had the things, the garters, motion-lotion, and the hot oil, but what did I get? A two-minute hump! He was a minuteman! They all are minutemen! And then he fell asleep!”

  “Really,” he said in shock and disbelief. Shock of all she had gone through, and that a man had left her wanting. Motion lotion? He had to remember to make a note of this and ask around.

  “Really. So I decided to be by myself and look at how happy I am?”

  Then she burst into tears.

  “Female!” Storm wailed as he maneuvered himself over to her stone perch and pulled her into an upright position.