Chapter 8

EIGHT

Merrick

As I exited the bus, I glanced back at the other siren born. Her eyes narrowed in disdain, and she flipped the traditional human goodbye gesture at me with her middle finger. I smiled and repeated it. She scowled, but the other males with her snorted with laughter. I stared at her yellow top, brighter than even the yellow tang fish in the sea. I’d never figured out how to harvest a fish color without hurting it, so I let it go.

At least the men near her no longer looked like they wanted to fight me, so I considered that a victory.

Once I was off the bus, it was apparent we weren’t in the same city as the other night. This area was populated, but not as densely. I could just barely pick up Jesse’s scent, however, so I followed it. It trailed down the road and ducked off at a fork, winding up a small hill and leading to a large building.

I saw other humans walking inside, so I figured it was safe if I did so as well. Large glass doors greeted me, as well as a smiling female. It was very clean here, and smelled like the ocean, but wrong, somehow.

I gave her the human gesture the others all seemed to favor, raising the middle finger of my hand toward her in a salute.

Her smile froze, and her face twisted into anger. My smile disappeared.

“Is that not a gesture of welcome?” I clarified, unsure. I had to pass her to find my Jesse.

She blinked, the anger draining away from her face. “You don’t sound like you’re from around here.”

I was pleased she understood this. “This is my first time,” I confirmed.

The female sighed. “Right, well, just go on then. Happy to share our aquarium with folks from other countries. And don’t give that gesture to anyone unless you don’t like them.”

I frowned, reanalyzing all my interactions with humans where I used that gesture. I shook my head, deciding it didn’t matter. The only part that mattered was how she stood aside to let me pass. I smiled and walked on through.

This place was strange and exhilarating; the large structures that held water and fish both terrified and fascinated me. It smelled almost like the ocean, but … off. A lingering scent of sickness and decay lightly lay over most of the tanks, but the fish and other creatures seemed well cared for. I was astounded by the large sheets of clear glass. How was it made? How did they keep it so clean? I understood the practicality of being able to see the creature within, but it seemed odd to pen up animals just to be able to look at them. Unless the animals were sick and being treated until they could be released back to the ocean? Yes! That had to be it. And Jesse helped with this!

My pride for her swelled further in my chest.

I ignored the sickness and odd, manufactured scents and focused on the salty spice of my siren. I found my Jesse easily enough, feeding a sleepy old manatee. It was understandable why this animal was here; it was missing one flipper. It would die instantly out in the ocean. I placed a hand on the side of the tank, fascinated by how sturdy the glass was to hold back so much water! The smooth surface was cool beneath my hand.

How did they get it to bend like that? If I learned how to bend glass, oh the things I could make!

“Merrick! Oh my god, you scared me! What are you doing here?” Jesse’s voice sounded alarmed, but I could see the delight that stretched her features.

“I wanted to find you, so I did,” I responded. I didn’t know if it was normal or not for humans to scent each other, so I simply let her think what she wanted about how I found her.

“That’s sweet, I think?” She laughed, getting down from the ladder with the giant pool of water. Behind her, the fish swam to the surface, happily grabbing the food that floated before darting back down to the depths for safety. The manatee floated away, bored now that its meal was over.

“You care for fish here?” I asked, disbelief raising the pitch of my voice. My father had always claimed humans did nothing but kill and destroy, pollute and eat. My mate cared for the fish and animals of the ocean! She didn’t stick them with sharp harpoons or dastardly hooks!

“Well, yeah. I used to be an intern, studying marine biology. I got kicked out of the program for something stupid. The aquarium offered to keep me on, since I already know what I’m doing and all of that.”

She glanced up at me as though waiting for a reaction. I tried to analyze her words and make sense of them. I failed, but understood she was upset and that it wasn’t her fault. Had someone yelled at her like the Mike man from the boat?

“Someone kicked you out? Who are they? I will find them. We will fix this!” I vowed. The thought of anyone laying a hand (or foot) on my Jesse was upsetting.

Her hands flew to her mouth, covering a smile. “Well, it wasn’t like that. It was a stupid religious thing. Well, sort of. The school is religious, not me. That means they can kick you out for stupid shit that normal colleges wouldn’t be bothered by. Anyway … It doesn’t matter, because they’re all hypocrites, anyway. Follow me.”

Gladly.

Jesse took me down a hallway and into a back room with benches and tall metal boxes. I enjoyed how her wet clothing clung to her body, but I tried not to stare.

“Do you mind turning around for a moment? I’m going to change,” she asked.

My mouth went dry. Did that mean she was taking her clothes off? Was she going to mate with me? It was too fast!

I turned around quickly, sitting down on the bench and trying to breathe. My mind warred with my body, tearing me in two.

You can’t mate with her!

But I wanted to.

No you don’t!

Just breathe.

Behind me, I heard her tugging and pulling, and the sound of her clothing hitting the hard floor. I swallowed, imagining what my father or someone like Aris would do. They wouldn’t sit here like a minnow and wait. They would pounce and take what they viewed as theirs. I was sure of it.

But I was not like them. I would not force Jesse to do anything. I would never put her in a situation that would leave her upset and alone. I gripped the wooden edges of the bench. I was not them. Jesse wasn’t a vessel to be used and discarded.

“Can you help with the zipper?” she asked. “Usually, I just wait until I get to the boat and Javi does it, but you’re here and all.”

I turned around. Jesse wore the same black dress from the other night. I liked how it fell softly around her body, accenting her breasts and showing the strong muscles of her legs and calves. She turned and gestured toward her back, which was bare in front of me, the fabric gaping on both sides.

I figured out quickly what she wanted, gently pulling up on the ‘zipper’ since I recognized it from my jean leggings. I couldn’t help but lean in toward her neck as I pulled it up, covering each bit of creamy skin inch by inch. When I reached the top, my head was bent, my lips hovering just above the back of her neck.

She turned her head, and I moved with her, my nose nuzzling her throat. She quietly gasped, then relaxed and leaned into me. My hands drifted to her sides, running up and down the soft fabric. She felt like heaven, her body a comforting weight against mine.

I wondered how her breasts would feel. They looked so soft and different from mine. My hand inched upwards from her waist, not wanting to push her into something if she didn’t want it.

Apparently, I moved too slowly for her tastes because she seized my wrist and pushed my hand directly on her breast.

I chuckled darkly, the edge of my fang brushing against her skin on her throat. I couldn’t help it. The urge to bite and claim was so strong. I focused on her breast instead, feeling its weight in my hand. My fingers played with the little hardened nub at the tip, and her body went rigid against me. My other arm went across her pelvis, pulling her in tight against me. The scent of arousal filled the surrounding air.

“Do you like that?” I whispered, my voice unrecognizable as it purred darkly at her.

She nodded and I pinched that nub. She gasped, and her scent abruptly switched to fear.

I dropped her instantly, as though I’d been burned. “Jesse, what—”

“What have we here?” A human male strutted into the room from around the corner of metal boxes behind me. From the angle, Jesse had seen him first. That had been what scared her, and not anything I had done.

Oddly enough, this male seemed angry. Furious, even. I was just as angry at him for disrupting my time with Jesse and causing her alarm.

The terror rolled off Jesse in waves, her fear a thick stench in my nose. I instinctively stepped in front of her. The male was shorter than me and not very muscled. If we fought, he would lose.

The thought stretched a smirk across my face and I stood taller, assured of my victory.

“Who the fuck are you ?” he snarled at me, stomping to get in my face. Or tried to.

He was small, but confident.

I grinned ferally, stepping up to loom over him all the better. Jesse sucked in a panicked breath and clung to me hard, her nails digging into the skin of my forearm.

“Please step away. You’re frightening her,” I warned, my voice a low rumble. If anything, that angered him more.

“You must be new around here,” the small male continued. “That’s forgivable, so I’ll let you in on a few pro tips. My father is a major donor to this institution, so what I say goes. And that bitch right there?” He pointed rudely at Jesse, who flinched. “ That bitch is mine .”

I assumed ‘bitch’ was not a nice word. Jesse’s breaths came too quickly, her eyes wide and her lips pinched. She refused to let go of me, as if I were the only thing standing between this aggressive male and her.

And maybe I was.