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She cursed her luck.
Hell, she cursed the gods .
Ship destroyed in a storm. Adrift in the middle of the ocean. The only thing that kept her afloat was the plank under her armpits.
She didn’t even want to be on that stupid boat, but there was no other way to cross the ocean.
She cursed the ocean, slapping the surface of the water with one hand.
A splash echoed behind her.
Drooping, defeated eyes flew wide open as instinctive fears of sharks and sea monsters flared to life. She turned her head in search of the distinctive fin, but saw nothing more than malms and malms of water. Something brushed against her foot, drawing a reflexive yell and kick from the woman. Hands tightened around the plank as she readied herself to beat whatever beast had come to eat her.
Nothing crested the idle waves surrounding her. Nothing burst up from beneath to snatch her up in its jaws. Nothing so much as tapped her with an apology for scaring the life out of her.
She relaxed against the board.
She cursed herself .
A soft melody reached her ears from somewhere behind her. It eased her fears and calmed her sunbaked nerves. It whispered suggestions to simply… let go.
How long had she been holding on to the plank? Hours? The storm had passed before the sun rose and now that same damned source of light and heat beamed down from the middle of the sky.
The melody’s idea was tempting.
Why was she still holding on? There was no hope of being saved. The route was rarely traveled and no one on dry land would miss her. She was really only drawing out the inevitable.
She pushed the board away and tread water for a few seconds as the melody drew closer. It enveloped her in its music—accepting her choice and praising her decision.
Her limbs grew still.
She closed her eyes.
She sank .
The melody grew louder once she slipped below the waves. It almost sounded like… a man singing? But that was impossible.
In her last moments—as she felt the water press in on her and the air burn in her lungs—an arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her against a muscled chest. A large hand cupped her cheek only for a pair of lips to press against hers and breathe .
The woman stirred into wakefulness. Her ears rang in the silence of… wherever she was—it certainly wasn’t a ship on the ocean. Sand moved beneath her, pushed out of the way by sleepy limbs. She brought her hand up to her forehead, but scratched herself with the grit stuck to her damp skin.
A large hand dwarfed hers and moved it back down to her chest where its partner lay folded. Her eyes snapped open at the feeling of another’s touch.
His beauty was the first thing that struck her.
A perfectly sculpted face and nose that reminded her of the ancient statues in her parents’ art books. Pale eyes that mimicked the clear noon sky, but seemed to glow with an otherworldly light in the dim light that surrounded them. They lazily studied her form as he loomed over her. Hair like spun gold draped over a muscled shoulder and pooled on the sand beneath him.
Once the initial shock passed, however, she began noticing his other features. Small, silver-blue scales snaked up his arms. Nails sharpened into claws that gently traced a pattern on the back of her wrist. Three faint slits ran along his rib cage where the scales spread from his back and seemed to open and close as he breathed.
Her gaze continued until it reached his waist where she discovered a long tail instead of legs, covered in the same scales as his arms and back. A pattern made of golden scales broke the monotony of silvery blue that covered the rest of him. The aurum scales continued into the webbed fin that capped off his thick tail and languidly swayed back and forth.
She had heard tales of the merfolk, but she had long believed them to simply be stories made up by lonely, drunk sailors. To have one leaning over her…
The woman gasped in sudden realization. She scurried backwards, kicking up sand in her attempt to put as much distance as possible between herself and the creature. A wall suddenly pressing at her back brought her attempt to an abrupt end.
Displeasure darkened the creature's handsome features and his tail grew still. Now that she could take all of him in, she noted he was bigger than she would have thought from the sailor's stories. Easily a head or two taller had he been a man—although she honestly wasn't sure how to consider the added length of his tail.
Bracing himself upright with one hand on the sand, the merman extended the other towards her.
"Come to me."
The melody of his voice seized her. The sound curled around her arms and legs as if to urge her back within his reach. A subconscious moan built in her throat upon hearing him speak. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to return to his arms. Her limbs moved of their own accord, bringing her a few steps forward on her hands and knees before she managed to stop herself.
A shake of her head cleared it of the encroaching haze. A quick sweep of her surroundings showed the woman she was in a cave illuminated by moss growing on the walls. The only exit seemed to be the water behind the merman.
"No," she said firmly. "Who are you? Where have you brought me?"
He cocked his head at her demands; his soft hum vibrated through the air. While not as concentrated as his voice, it still carried a hint of his power. She felt it pull and wrap around her heart, but she managed to ignore it more easily than when he spoke.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. His tail tucked up and coiled in front of him, granting the merman a place to lean forward and rest his upper half. Propping his head on the heel of one hand, his eyes roved her form once more.
"I am Zenos, Prince of Tides—and your humble savior, land dweller."
Savior .
The word didn't quite ring with the same strength as his first command, but it hung in the air all the same. She relaxed at the sound of it and lowered her guard, reasoning that he didn’t want to attack her. The concept seemed strange and uncharacteristic; normally she would at least remain on the defensive when facing a stranger like this. Something about his smile and the look in his eyes, however…
“You… saved me?” she asked hesitantly.
“Of course I did,” he purred. “Your fickle gods cast you aside like such unneeded jetsam and left you to die on the surface. Lucky you that I happened to be swimming nearby. I caught you just as you slipped beneath the waves, gave you enough air to survive, and brought you here—to safety .”
“Safe,” she echoed quietly, lowering her gaze to the sand between them.
She smiled at the warmth in the merman’s melodic voice. It was wholly unfair of him to seem so perfect: his looks, his voice, his chivalry. He embodied a package deal she thought to have been long out of stock.
A small part of her rebelled, however, insisting it was all pageantry. He was no more honest than any other man she had met on dry land. Hadn’t the sailor’s stories mentioned the magic employed by the merfolk? How they wove their beautiful notes into the air to lure people to their doom? Surely this was part of his spell—lure her in and gain her trust, only to drag her into the water so she could drown.
But… why would he save her only to drown her at a later point? Why make more work for himself?
“Yes, my friend. Safe,” he assured her and slowly pulled himself forward with his arms. “You’re safe here. Safe with me . You will find I take excellent care of that which is mine .”
“Yours,” she murmured absently as he stopped just in front of her.
Zenos pulled himself upright using the wall, trapping her between his arms. A smirk slowly spread across his face as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
“ Mine .”
A shudder coursed down her spine. Her legs nearly gave out, but she caught herself by grabbing one of his arms with both hands. It flexed beneath her touch as he easily took on her weight. His other arm settled around her waist and pulled her against his chest where she could feel its rise and swell. A golden curtain fell around her as he lowered his head to repeat the word, sending another shiver of delight through her body.
“Yes,” she sighed and relaxed against him. “Yours. Safe because I’m yours .”
“How right you are,” he hummed.
Soft notes lingered in the air. Warmth settled into her, mimicking his gentle embrace. His easy melody continued to caress her and soon her worries melted away. She rested her head against his chest. Cocooned in comfort, she wondered why she ever doubted him in the first place.
Zenos would take care of her. She was his . He would protect her because she belonged to him .
Her merman. Her Prince of Tides.
A gentle kiss to her neck slowly brought her back to him. She smiled up at him before snaking her arms around his waist, enjoying the novel sensation of his scales rubbing against them. Without breaking cadence, he murmured the next few words of his song into her skin. She didn’t understand what he said, but she somehow knew —he wanted her.
An unbidden moan parted her lips. Hands slid up his scaled back and gripped his shoulders as she hooked one leg around his thick tail to grind against him. The smooth scales did nothing at first, but another series of whispered words helped her realize she should remove the bothersome fabric between them. She tore her pants off with the help of his claws; her shirt was discarded just as easily.
Resuming her attempts at scratching the growing itch between her legs, she found that his scales rubbed her folds rather nicely. His song slowed and her rhythm followed, working herself against his body in long, steady motions.
The hand at her waist easily moved just enough to grope her ass. She groaned and arched into her merman’s chest, pulling herself up using his shoulders and wrapping her other leg around his tail. More words murmured into her neck made her heat up; her breath turned shallow. She glanced up at him, eagerly seeking his gaze to silently plead with him. A needy whine keened in her throat as her folds clenched around emptiness and she felt his stomach grow slick from her own need.
A finger hooked under her chin to lift her face and hold it in place. He finally met her gaze from beneath half-lidded eyes, lips quirked into a satisfied smirk as he continued singing—just for her. Zenos rested his forehead against hers before nuzzling against her cheek. His eyes slipped closed as he groped her again, sending her surging upwards. He kissed her bare shoulder and the words of his song suddenly became clear.
“Come with me to the water.”
She hummed her consent, naturally harmonizing with his familiar melody. Hands tightened their grip on him—even going so far as to grip the roots of his long, golden hair—as she braced herself. Her lips found their way to his neck where she kissed and licked, savoring the taste of salt on her merman’s skin. He pushed away from the wall and awkwardly made his way to the water by dragging himself with his arms.
How graceful he would be in his element. How selfish of her to make him stay on dry land even for a moment. She whispered her apologies into his skin; a shaking childlike chant compared to his masterpiece.
He paused to cradle her between his arms and tail. Whispered assurances eased her concerns as he gently pressed down on her chin. She opened her mouth only for him to claim it with his tongue. His last few notes hung in the air while he kissed and tasted her. She moaned into him, hands clawing against the scales covering his back and shoulders as if to beg for more.
His lips twisted into a smirk against hers; the claw on his thumb dug into her chin to keep her in place as he drew away. His mouth opened in a grin that bared matching rows of sharp teeth. She panted and craned her head up towards his, seeking more of the kiss her merman had granted her —no one else, but her. A part of her even wondered if he would show her just what his teeth could do; if he would mark her so every creature could see she was his—no one else’s, but his .
His song returned, but had slowed to a teasing—lilting—tune. She couldn’t help but whine despite the notes asking her patience as he dragged himself into the cold water.
An audible and relieved sigh slipped into the air above her head when he slid into his element with her hanging from his neck like an awkward weight. He pulled her underwater without any warning. Instincts made her let go and claw her way back to the surface despite his song requesting her trust.
She broke through, gasping for air and wiping water away from her eyes. He followed—as graceful as she had suspected—and surfaced with barely a ripple. Only his glowing blue eyes were visible above the water; the rest of him hid beneath the still surface and the golden halo of his hair. She caught sight of his silvery tail swishing almost in annoyance and felt ashamed that she had repaid her merman’s kindness in such a fashion.
“I’m sorry,” she said and held her arms out to him. “I… I can’t… I couldn’t …”
He lifted his chin out of the water to speak but otherwise remained in place.
“You are a land dweller; ‘tis in your nature to fear my world,” he reasoned. “But did I not tell you I would protect you? That you are safe with me ?”
His voice lacked judgement; he merely stated fact. And who was she to argue? With a strong flick of his tail, her merman elegantly swam a circle around her. She admired the way his scales glinted in the faint, luminescence of the cave. How little she deserved a perfect being like him . And yet…
Music filled the air as he twisted and swam backwards—away from the shore—with his head above the surface of the water. The words were once again beyond her understanding, but she sensed what he wanted.
Trust . Follow.
Without a second thought, she clumsily swam towards him. Her movements were slow and ungainly compared with his ease and poise. There was no hope of her catching up to him. Apparently realizing this, he stopped to wait for her. His arms spread in welcome as she finally reached him and sank into his hold. His song praised her for listening and how wonderful she was— his land dweller. His friend .
One of his large hands cupped the side of her face while the other pressed into the small of her back, holding her against his chest. She smiled, surrounded by his warmth despite the cold water, and tilted her head back. His song paused as he accepted her silent invitation and kissed her.
She sensed his tail grow still which allowed them to sink below the surface of the water. The woman squeezed her eyes shut and held on to the best of her ability, ignoring and squashing her instincts that screamed for her to flee. Instead, she focused on him—on the melody that resumed now that they were in his natural element. The music surrounded her. It worked on her instincts, soothing them as if they were a wild beast that only needed a kind word and a gentle hand.
However, her lungs soon began to burn for lack of fresh air. Her hands clawed at him, seeking purchase on his sleek scales and failing now that he was underwater. Out of desperation, she grabbed his head with both hands and tried to suck in air through their kiss. He had done it once, surely he would do it again, right?
His other hand came up to cradle the other side of her head while his tail curled beneath her to make sure she remained within range. Something about the music coming from her merman had… changed. She gasped—despite her lungs aching for air. It suddenly flowed into her through his kiss. Her eyes widened at the realization as his tail slowly began to rub between her legs.
She moaned into him, exhaling most of the air he had gifted her. It escaped their lips and floated upwards in a series of bubbles. Parts of his song seemed familiar as heat gathered behind her navel. Her thighs tried to twitch shut, but his thick tail prevented her from doing anything more than squeeze it between her legs.
Another moan stole the rest of her air. Her eyes opened to squint at Zenos through the dark water with his long, blond hair floating up and around him. His own eyes were half-closed as his song continued to tumble from his lips. It resonated with promises… promises that…
His hand slipped between them to press on the scales just below the skin of his waist. A moan interrupted his song as he bucked his hips. The motion flowed through his tail, rubbing against her folds and making her squeeze the limb between her thighs again. Part of her wished he had something that could stimulate her better.
Despite his assurance of protection, she lunged for him. Arms reached and wrapped around his neck and her lips crashed against his, eager for another gift of air. He granted it with little complaint, moaning it into her as something hard sprouted up and dug into her skin. His song resumed—sultry and plainly seductive now—as her mind suddenly registered what her eyes saw.
An erect cock, thick enough around that she would struggle to wrap even both hands around it and lined with scales at its base, grew from where she would have expected to see it on a normal, land dwelling man. It inched upwards as it swelled and she could only wonder where her merman had kept it hidden this whole time. Another thought crept into her mind that wondered how much of it she could take. Would he even let her?
Her curiosity was soon sated as his clawed hands grabbed her by the waist. He twisted his head to sing into her neck; the vibrations resonated to her core. Shivers coursed through her body in contrast to the heat building between her legs. She squirmed in his hold and reflexively exhaled in the first half of a pant. The ensuing inhale sent some water into her lungs before her body could stop the reaction. She choked and immediately went for another kiss from her merman.
His lips closed before hers could reach them.
She panicked. Fingers scrabbled at his face and jaw, working at an attempt to make him open his mouth to give her air. Rather than comply, a moan resonated within him that led into more humming. The new melody wrapped itself around her, calming her panic and making her relax once more. Despite the burning in her chest, she gave over control of the lower half of her body to him and instead wrapped her arms around him in a loose embrace.
He had saved her, after all. Her life—and her body—was his to do with as he pleased.
Haze filled her mind as her thoughts strayed back to his cock. What little air remained fled her in a choked moan as her lower half clenched and relaxed, wishing he would please her before she gave him her life.
Zenos’ hand moved up to the back of her head. It kept her still while he finally granted her more air. Her grateful lungs repaid him with a needy moan, filling the water around the lovers with more bubbles that ascended to the surface. His hand returned to her waist as her generous merman breathed more air into her and rolled his hips. The tip of his erection prodded into her, renewing her squirms and her desire for him to fill her—even if it meant splitting her in twain.
She didn’t have to wait long.
His claws dug into her just before he rammed her down onto his erection, forcing the air from her lungs in a gasp. Tears bled from her eyes into the water surrounding them as he immediately spread her to her very limits. She had to admit, however, the pain was delicious . He moaned and moved her hips, grinding her into his own and somehow reaching even deeper. Breathless as she was, she could only cling to the smooth parts of her merman’s chest.
A small kiss gave her a little more air. With it, he lifted her off his erection. She whined at the void he left and her fingers twisted in his hair as she silently begged him to fill her again. He complied, punctuating his song with a grunt when he was fully sheathed. A roll of her hips made his cock rub against her sweet spot. Stars exploded as she moaned more bubbles into being. Her merman tilted his head and made her repeat the motion by moving her hips with his hands.
She clung to him as an orgasm threatened to roll through her. A quick kiss granted her a mouthful of air just before he began repeating the entire sequence, thrusts punctuated with rolls of her hips that stimulated her more than she had thought possible. The orgasm quickly built as she reflexively squeezed around him whenever he was hilted. A crazed thought came to her, making her wonder what his orgasm would be like. Would it be as large as—
She came before she could even fully acknowledge it, releasing into the water along with the remaining air in her lungs. His song took on a proud note that made her smile. Of course he was proud. He should be—perfect as he is. Reflexively, she continued squeezing, eager to please him the way he had her before the darkness encroaching on her senses claimed her.
It was the least she could do: grant him release as her final act.
What an honor; how lucky she was.