5. Kaden

Chapter 5

Kaden

I ronic how I've spent a lifetime hunting for a way out of Tartarus to find answers on who betrayed my family, yet here I am, hunting for the mermaid.

She'd been spying on me in the fjord earlier in the day, and whether she wanted it or not, she got my attention. Waters talk to me, sending ripples of awareness through to me even when I'm on land. Her presence in the fjord had raised every hair on my body from the pull to her.

Right now, she's in the swimming pool at the rear of her cabin, and I'm in the woods surrounding her property.

Watching.

I'm darkness, desperate to capture her.

A growl vibrates in my chest.

She's fucking stunning, a surprise I wasn't expecting, and a great one at that, considering the uncomfortable conversation I had with Asbesta earlier in the day. I said what she wanted to hear, to appease her, but I bow to nobody's commands. I'm no idiot and know having someone like me in her House gives her a great advantage over her enemies, so of course, she lets me use her fjords while I remain here.

Whether I return to her House once I'm finished with my business in Norway is a completely different matter. If she wants to bring war down on me for it, I'll show her exactly why I'm not someone to be fucked with. Sure, I may not survive against her powers and army, but I sure as fuck will have fun trying.

I shake off the unease clinging to me and refocus on something delicious.

I followed my little mermaid from the fjord to uncover who she is. I wasn't letting her out of my sight. Now, primal curiosity pushes me to get closer, to claim her, and I'm grinning, knowing it won't be long until I do.

Her aquamarine hair catches the moonlight, shimmering like the surface of the water as she splashes playfully in the small pool. Her tail, vibrant blues and greens with hints of gold, splashes in and out of the water, drawing my attention to every flick. Besides her, some small creature frolics, its significance lost to me.

There's a pull, a nearly physical ache that courses through me toward her, toward the water, a thirst only joining her can fill. Yet I'm standing on land, feeling the distance like a dry crackling in my throat.

Back in the Tartarus prison, many stalked and kidnapped their mate. That same temptation simmers under my skin, but I'm biding my time, needing to first understand if she's my true mate. My cock's already hard, close to losing control, so I'm not under any illusion that this could just be me being horny as fuck and needing to sink into that gorgeous mermaid.

Compelled by a need to see her closer, I begin to move. Each step down the sloped hill is calculated to avoid making any sound.

I've been in Norway for a couple of weeks now, finding a very different world from Tartarus, but I'm adapting quickly, finding my footing, setting up Grandfather's home as my own, and slowly putting out feelers as to his past dealings on how the fuck he ended up in Tartarus.

The night air is cool on my skin, and each breath feels warmer as I approach the pool. I pause within the line of trees in her yard. I stay hidden in the shadows, yet my view is crisp.

Tracing her every movement, I watch her gracefully pull herself up to sit on the ledge, a side view to me. Her hair drops down her back, cascading like liquid, and under the moonlight, her skin almost glows with a silvery luster, her tail shimmering with each movement. She's mesmerizing.

My gaze falls to her exposed breasts, large enough to fill my hands, firm and curvy. Aquamarine nipples are hard, and each time she moves, they jiggle in the most hypnotic motion. I lick my lips, and the desperation to pull them into my mouth, to suck on them, to make her moan is pure torture.

Just as I adjust my cock and shift my stance, a small twig underfoot snaps. The sound is slight, but in the stillness of the night, it carries. Her head snaps up, those piercing eyes scanning the woods in my direction.

I lock in place, waiting to see if she'll notice me, ready to step out of the darkness.

Her brow creases as she scans the woods, but when she doesn't spot me, she lowers her gaze to her lap. Part of me is disappointed she didn't see me.

She's absolutely breathtaking, the kind of mermaid I'd crash a hundred ships just to be ensnared by her.

Then I see her still leaning forward, focusing on a dark hole in the shimmering scales of her tail. Her beautiful skin is exposed where there are missing scales.

I've seen a mermaid being completely scaled back in Tartarus, tortured, and it was horrendous.

Seeing this beauty suffering, a primal fury kindles inside me, especially when I hear a whine softly escape her lips as she runs a finger over the wound.

A fierce instinct to protect her flares in me.

With my gaze still on her, I notice as the little critter from the water, her apparent companion, sidles up to her, nudging against her gently. A knot twists inside me at seeing her pain.

As my mind races, I recall the sight of one of Asbesta's guards leaving her cabin not long ago, his hand wrapped and bloodied. Could he be the cause of her pain? Was that why she retaliated and hurt him?

Fuck, he's lucky he's still walking because if I'd been there, his head would be rolling.

Breathing heavily, I can't quite explain my sudden obsession with this mermaid, but something feels right about her. It's satisfying, has me buzzing, and I want more.

Watching her for a few moments longer, my anger flares at what might have happened to her.

Taking one last look, imprinting her on my mind, I turn and dart from my hidden spot, disappearing into the night. Each step is driven by a storm of fury, my chest thumping louder, and suddenly, I feel more alive than I have in decades.

Sasha

I flinch awake with my heart hammering, my eyes snapping wide, and stare at the wooden ceiling. The remnants of yesterday's events cling to me, cold and terrifying, as I keep picturing Asbesta coming for me.

Chowder makes a small whining sound as he curls up alongside my legs in bed.

I glance over to my bedside table to see the time, but instead, my gaze lands on something entirely unexpected—a container. My breath catches in my throat.

Wait, is that the same container I used yesterday, the one I put the guard's fingers into? Except he took it, and I didn't leave it on my bedside table.

My chest tightens, and a chill sweeps through me as I struggle to breathe. How did that get here?

Frantically, I jump out of bed, stirring Chowder out of his sleep with my sudden movement. My mind races with thoughts of Asbesta or perhaps the guard breaking into my place while I slept. My heart thunders louder as I check the front door—it's still locked. I rush through the house, finding nothing else amiss, no windows open, nothing tossed about.

Back by the bed, I stare at the transparent container, starting to realize something even more unnerving—there are no fingers inside, though a bit of blood on the inside confirms it's the same box. There's something else in there.

Tentatively, I pull back the lid, and inside, to my utter disbelief, I find the two scales from my tail. The ones I plucked out yesterday as payment.

I blink at them, a mixture of confusion spinning in my mind.

"What the hell is going on?" My hands shake, the box trembling as I hold it. All of a sudden, everything feels unsafe—the room, my home, the world outside. Yet as I curl my fingers around my scales, I'm deeply appreciative of having them back. I can't reattach them, but just holding a part of me, a part I thought I'd sacrificed, softens the ache.

I don't know what happened or why, but I'm on my feet, pacing the room. Someone broke into my house as I slept, most likely watched me sleep, and then headed out. And not even Chowder noticed, or he would have made enough noise to wake me up.

That's fucking creepy. So why the hell did the guard or Asbesta return them?

With Chowder now stirring and watching me with his big, curious eyes, I rub the top of his head.

"Feel like something to eat?"

"Who isn't ready for chowder?"

I smirk at his cuteness and get up, my mind on fire.

If someone really wanted me hurt, they would have done it while I slept. And while that doesn't ease the chill on my skin, it helps stop the panic crawling through me. Tonight, I'll be setting up the house with some trip wires and sleeping with my weapons.

After a rushed morning, I head into the office, trying to shake off the events of last night.

Now, I'm leaning against the kitchen counter in the office at work, chatting with my boss, Ada, who looks every bit the seasoned bounty hunter. Dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, she's tall and looks like she can handle herself in the field. But it's her smile that catches me off guard—soft and welcoming. Her lion shifter heritage is apparent in the slitted, golden eyes and the taut pull of her blonde hair in a tight bun, which really brings out their brightness.

"Your report on yesterday's findings was intriguing, especially with discovering that underwater cave," she says with a grin. "Smart idea to explore the fjords."

I nod, grateful for the recognition but also slightly regretting going down there, considering the repercussions.

"I think I need another day or two out there to see if Belu shows up," I suggest, leaving out any mention of the handsome merman or Asbesta. Maybe if I find the guard again, I can ask him why he returned the scales. Not that I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth, but something feels really strange about it. And I hate being in the dark on anything that involves me.

"Mr. Daniels informed me of your hard work and tenacity, and I see it." Ada's hands cradle a cup of a steaming hot brew, her expression earnest. "And agree on a few more days. If you see him, bring Belu in or call in for backup. There's no shame in asking for help."

"Will do," I say, proud that she trusts me with the target. Edging toward the door to get started, she calls out, stopping me in my tracks.

"That property you're checking near the fjord," she states. "It has a lot of history. Dark history. Be careful. I've heard rumors that a family member might be in town. Use your ID to show you have authority to be there if you are confronted."

My mind instantly flashes to the merman from the cave. Belu. Could that be him? I turn to face her. "What do you know about the house up on the hill and who lived there?" I ask, curiosity piqued.

Ada shrugs, sipping from her drink before saying, "Honestly, not much. It's been abandoned for thousands of years, yet a team has continued to keep it maintained. From my understanding, the grandfather of the family committed a crime so heinous that he ended up thrown in Tartarus."

Intrigued, I stand there, absorbing her words. Tartarus is a prison where only the worst of the worst are sent, and they never come out. It's said to have become a sort of settlement, with new generations born and raised within its confines. Imagine growing up in a prison.

"Good to know. I'll keep an eye out. Going to head out, then," I call over my shoulder to Ada, but she's already engaged in another conversation with someone else. The office isn't too different from the one back in South Africa—open plan, desks lined up for bounty hunters who come and go from missions.

As I make my way out, two of the girls I met on my first day smile my way.

Stepping outside, I make a beeline for my sedan, beyond curious about those who lived in that house near the fjord. As I drive back to the spot I visited yesterday, I'm going over my boss's words, curious as hell about what someone would have had to do to end up in Tartarus. I've heard enough tales to know something terrible would have had to happen to be sentenced and end up there.

Parked, I scan the rocky edge where I last saw those abandoned shoes. Now, they're gone, with no trace of anyone.

It's silent.

Calm.

I take a moment to scan the surroundings—the calm fjord waters, the chilly breeze curling through my hair, the eerie sensation of being watched.

I'm definitely not alone here.

My gaze eventually drifts toward the huge house perched on the hill behind me. Maybe there's no harm in checking it out. For all I know, Belu could be hiding there, or maybe he's in cahoots with the family member rumored to be in town.

I stroll past my car near the woods and follow a stone path, now overgrown with wild foliage. Encroaching trees and underbrush make the walk clumsy as it curls uphill toward the house.

As I reach what must have once been a gate, I find nothing left but the open yard. It's a wild tangle of plants and trees desperately in need of trimming. The enormous mansion itself looms farther ahead and is grand, bigger than it appears from down by the water. It's been diminished by the years of neglect. Those needing to fix it clearly haven't been working on the exterior of the house.

With a cautious step, I cross the threshold of where the gate once marked the entrance and approach the home. Long grass folds under my steps.

The quiet of the old mansion is suddenly shattered by a sharp snapping sound.

I flinch around as something tight cinches around my ankle, yanking me right off my feet. Instantly, I'm wrenched upward, my feet going up first, and a cry bleeds from my throat.

"Fuck, are you kidding me?" Here I am, suspended upside down in the air, dangling helplessly from a thick rope secured around my ankle. I walked right into that trap. "Great job, Sasha."

I thrash, reaching for my pocket knife, but as I fumble, my blade and keys slip from my pockets and clatter to the ground. "Damn it!" I stretch my arms down, but I'm too far up to reach them.

I always come prepared, and as I strain up to reach my ankle for my other knife, a flicker of movement in the shadows of the surrounding woods catches my eye.

Someone is definitely there, shifting silently between the trees. My heart thumps even louder, not just from the effort of hanging there but also from the realization that I might have just fallen for their trap.

And whoever they are, they're coming toward me.

Fuck!