8. Fishing for a Copulation

CHAPTER EIGHT

FISHING FOR A COPULATION

The Present: Sato in San Francisco Bay near Sausalito

Sato arrived at the designated meeting spot on time and alone, ahead of the rest of the diplomatic pod. He wanted to scout ahead and Meymey wanted to make a point. She intended to be just late enough to force the land bound to recognize her authority.

A strange group sat on the sharp rocks waiting for them. No otter, unfortunately. Not that he’d really expected to find his otter hiding in a pack.

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, wolves probably. Although werewolves could not speak in their shifted forms.

Only one was a wolf. It was dark, but street lights meant Sato was able to make out features, if not coloring. The wolf was a massive, fluffy creature, mottled and well camouflaged against the rock. Only his bright yellow eyes stood out, supernaturally reflective and focused on Sato.

The wolf stood between two men, both of them quite unassuming.

If Sato was in his human form, they probably would’ve been around the same size. One of them had the facial features and dark hair of someone from Sato’s father’s part of the world. He was sitting on a flat rock, lounging back, projecting disinterest like a delinquent teenager. Sato was personally familiar with the attitude. This kind of man should sport a cigarette dangling from two fingers. Sato missed the affectation, even if he didn’t miss the taste or the smell.

The other man wore glasses, a polo shirt, and jeans. His hair was a bit messy and his shoulders slightly slumped. He looked like Sato’s first human schoolteacher. He couldn’t remember the man’s name anymore but he did remember that his polos were always smudged with chalk dust and his handwriting had been very tidy. He hadn’t lasted very long in that small, sweaty, rural town but he had taught Sato how to read. This man looked like he had tidy handwriting.

The third person on the shore was the merman from before, had to be. Without his tail or his patina, he looked comfortably human. He had hair the color of amberjack and skin like dead coral and big eyes like an anime character. Sato couldn’t tell the color in the low light, but he thought they would be similar to his merman form, blue green. He was wearing a silky robe that fluttered in the evening breeze. Sato approved. This land bound merman was ready to swim if necessary. How polite.

They had a woman with them too – easily the largest and most imposing figure there. One of the biggest females Sato had ever seen, likely supernatural, which put Sato on his guard. That was a very smart decision from this mysterious Alpha. When dealing with mermaids, truly intelligent two legs utilized female politicians. This werewolf Alpha must, therefore, also be a smart politician. He had made arrangements to bring a powerful female with him. Or perhaps she was one of his pack? Or perhaps she was the Alpha? Did werewolf Alphas come in a variety of genders? Sato had no idea.

She stepped forward and crouched down at the water’s edge, staring at Sato full in the face. Sato could see the strength of water in her eyes. Not the relentless tides and endless pull of the ocean, but the fierce single-minded running of a great river. This woman represented the unsalted waters where Sato’s tail did not work.

Instinctively Sato raised up both forearms, pushing himself up and out of the bay as far as he could, showing her the size and power of his tail. Wondered if he should stop Meymey from even approaching. Considered turning and warning her off.

“I’m here as a negotiator, not a threat,” said the kelpie showing straight white horsey teeth in a broad smile that did not reach her eyes.

Sato had only ever met one kelpie before and it had been a memorable encounter. Fortunately, the chunk the creature had ripped out of his tail had grown back… eventually. But Sato had worried. He was vain about his tail and it had been a concerning few months of regrowth.

Sato did not like kelpie but he respected them because in the water, they were bigger, faster, and meaner than he was. And that was pretty rare. Those half dragon, half horse heads of theirs were filled with square, razor-edged teeth. There was no sanity in their river-rage eyes, no compassion in those massive front hooves.

Sato looked to the two men. “Bringing a kelpie to meet a mermaid pod is a bit like bringing a gun to a knife fight.” He used one of their sayings, picked up from that time he played beach volleyball with a group of Marines.

“Is this a fight?” asked the man with the glasses.

“If she’s the gun, then what am I?” asked the other man. The one sitting. The wolf had moved even closer to him after Sato spoke, pressing against one leg. Was the seated man the Alpha?

“You’re the semi-automatic, darling,” said the merman.

There was mini wave behind Sato and the sound of dripping water as the diplomatic pod surfaced. Sato turned slightly, gave the hand signal to stay back. He hadn’t decided on the safety level yet.

Meymey was in charge, but in this she obeyed him. He was, after all, her vangill.

Sato said, for her benefit, pointing. “This one is a kelpie. Aren’t we honored? That’s the merman from before. That wolf is a shifted werewolf. The one standing is the good cop and the one sitting is the bad cop. One of them must be the Alpha.”

Meymey looked at the group before her. Tilted her head. “Neither seems very tough.”

“They intended it to look that way.”

“Then why the kelpie?”

“The fact that they thought her necessary is interesting in and of itself.” That was their interpreter, Aqua.

“It’s probably Daidai’s fault. Vangill make people nervous.” There was pride in Meymey’s voice. Sato was amused that she thought anyone outside of the sea even knew about vangill.

“Actually,” said the teacher softly, “she is here as the local DURPS representative.”

“We’re registered.” Meymey was instantly defensive; they always played by human shifter regulations!

They’d logged all their shells the moment they arrived. Sato had taken them in himself. Stood in line for hours and everything. Sure, he had done it so he could ask if there were any registered otter shifters in the Bay Area. The clerk had said there were not in a tone of voice that doubted their very existence. But the end result was they were officially allowed in the area by the local government. It was all logged into that silly landbound system: twelve mermaids, one merman, all named and accounted for. There was no reason for a representative of DURPS to be meeting them now.

“I know. I checked as soon as Alec texted me,” replied the kelpie.

“Are you not going to leave the water to meet us properly? We brought robes.” Leather jacket gestured to a pile of fabric on a rock next to him. Of course a wolf pack would have access to thirteen robes!

Meymey swirled the surface of the water with her arms, considering this option. She would have more power over the males if she were on two legs. It would be harder for them to resist her siren song. But on land, Sato was at a disadvantage. Even though he could deploy his spurs, he’d never trained to fight werewolves. Only humans.

Sato hand-spoke to his sister. “Stay in the water.”

She gave him the hand flick of agreement.

Sato didn’t like their odds either way. Even in the water, he might have to take on a merman and a kelpie, but he could probably distract them long enough for his sister to escape. Out of the ocean? He wasn’t sure he could take on any werewolf, let alone an Alpha with pack.

“We will stay in tail,” Meymey said to the man with the glasses.

“His spurs won’t work on land,” explained the merman to his companions, with confidence.

“He has spurs ?” The seated man leaned forward, wrists draped over his knees, intent on Sato. “Can I see?”

Sato crossed his arms and glared.

“Maxikins, sweetiepie, don’t poke at the nice merman,” said the other merman. “He’s sharp.”

The teacher said, “Perhaps introductions might smooth things over?”

Meymey gestured at Sato to speak. Until they knew who had authority, she didn’t want to look weak by going first.

Sato said, “Why don’t you start, professor?”

“You know me?”

“Educated guess,” replied Sato.

“Oh, you’re funny,” said the seated man, eyes even more intent on Sato. “How interesting.”

The teacher gestured. “Ms Trickle, department head at Big Pink DURPs, friend of the San Andreas Pack. Kelpie.”

The massive woman raised up one hand. “Greetings, people of the sea,” she said, politely.

“Waterhorse,” said Meymey with a nod.

One of the pod behind him swam forward, interested. Lana, who was young and from warm waters. Had she never met a kelpie before?

“Sister, control your pod,” Sato hummed in siren song.

Meymey whistled hard and sharp.

“What?” Lana pouted but backed away.

“Please don’t play with kelpie,” said Sato. They take big bites and don’t let go.”

The kelpie’s laugh was a little like a snort. “You’ve met my kind before.”

The professor continued. “That’s Max. Human, Beta-mate.”

The seated man raised one hand and wiggled all his fingers. His sleeve stretched up, showing scars on his wrist. A fighter? Interesting.

“Bryan, my Beta.” The big wolf leaning against Max’s side made a chuff noise.

“Alpha-mate Marvin you’ve met already.”

The merman smiled. “Hi, ladies. And mister viral grumpy-pants hotness.”

“Pants?” Sato questioned the nickname.

Marvin pursed his lips. “Fair point.”

“And I’m Alec, San Andreas Pack Alpha.”

“You don’t look like an Alpha,” said Cascade, injudiciously. Meymey turned and glared at her.

“Everyone says that,” replied Alec with a soft, sweet smile, untroubled.

Sato gestured to his sister. “This is the Paralia of All Seas.”

“No name?” wondered the kelpie.

“Paralia is the correct form of address outside of a sexual encounter,” explained Aqua, snidely.

“I’m sorry, what ?” Max was confused.

Marvin snickered. “Names aren’t often needed except for seduction. Best not to trouble your pretty little head about it.”

“But your sister?” Alec asked his merman.

“Giselle is a land-walker of a kind, more so than most mermaids. But she is not the Paralia of All Seas. She likes me more than most mermaids like their brothers, so she accommodates this world more than most.”

Sato did not know any mermaids named Giselle. From Marvin’s patina and tail color, he assumed she was a power player in some cold norther pod. They would be allied with the Ogress, not his sister. Still, it was interesting that this merman came from a power-playing pod.

“You’ll explain more later, please,” said the Alpha to his mate, before turning back to the merfolk. “Nice to meet you, Paralia. And the others?” Alec was trying to understand them, which Sato thought odd. Why so nice?

“Their names are unimportant.” replied Meymey. “Except him.” She pointed at Max. “A human is fair prey.”

Max made a face. “I am most definitely not interested. No offense, ladies.” The wolf next to him growled. “Also, I’m mated.” Max rested one hand on the wolf’s head.

The Beta, Sato reminded himself. Second in command.

“That doesn’t matter to us,” replied Cascade.

“Oh dear. How do I put this?” Max looked up at the starry night sky. “I don’t do women.”

“But we are mermaids ,” responded Meymey, confused.

“Mer women ,” replied Max.

Sato sensed danger incoming. His sister was now curious. Their collective virtues as mermaids were being challenged. Also, they were being denied access to human sperm. They never liked that. Even if it was just one. They now had something to prove.

Cascade began moving toward the shore. She was currently fertile. It was her responsibility to respond to the challenge.

Max only looked amused.

“Wait!” Meymey’s eyes widened, she turned back to Alec. “When you said Alpha-mate about your little merman, you can do that?”

“Oh, frequently,” said Marvin, grinning.

“No!” Meymey shook her head. “Of course you can do that . Anyone can fuck anyone else. The act is unimportant. I fail to see why you would want to, with no child possible, but that is neither here nor there. No, I mean mate . You have a merman for a mate . That is a big deal with wolves, right? You two are conjoined in some symbiotic power exchange of unity. A werewolf and a merman? That doesn’t strike you as odd? That doesn’t strike DURPS as odd?” She glanced sideways at the kelpie.

The kelpie said, “Leave me and your weird human dick fetish out of it, girl. I prefer females, myself.”

Meymey squeaked in shock. “For sex?”

“Yes, for sex.”

“And also… mate?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.” His sister sounded more impressed than offended.

Sato signed for her to get back on topic.

She ignored him.

The kelpie looked sad. “Aw, honey, you’re breaking my heart. Just say the word, I’ll hook you up. I’m off the market myself but I got lots of friends who’d be happy to open your mind, and heart, and… other parts of you.”

Meymey’s head was tilting slowly to one side in amazement. “For fun?”

“For pleasure, sweetheart. Or love. Or both.”

Alec cleared his throat.

The kelpie whirled on him. “Hush now, the lesbians are talking.”

“Yes, Ms Trickle,” said the Alpha hurriedly, then pressed his mouth shut.

So, even an Alpha werewolf could be cowed by a kelpie. Sato was pleased he’d identified the biggest threat from the start.

“Tomorrow is Friday. Put on some legs and a pretty dress, and meet me at the cafe across the street, just over there.” She turned and pointed. “Same time. Pepper and I will take you into the city.”

“But I’m not fertile at the moment.” Meymey clearly was losing her grip on the seaweed of the situation. But it was oddly enjoyable to watch her mind being blown right in front of him.

“Exactly, honey. Because that’s not the point.”

“It isn’t?” said Meymey, and then. “It isn’t?”

“No, sweetheart.”

Sato sang softly, “A word, Paralia?”

Meymey turned to him, blinking as if recovering from some kind of daze. Having been tumbled unexpectedly by a wave of new information about dry reality.

She registered who had spoken and immediately dipped underneath the surface of the water.

Sato joined her. “Is not the purpose of this mission fertility ?”

He left her beneath the waves to think on that for a moment.

He popped his own head back up and into an awkward silence.

There seemed to be a stare-off going on between the pack and the pod. He supposed the pack didn’t know that merfolk blinked less than land shifters.

Sato apologized, because none of the others behind him knew that they were supposed to. “Please excuse the mermaids their impertinent questions as to the nature of your relationships and orientations.”

“And you? Will you tell us your name?” The Alpha took them back to the start of the conversation.

“I am not important.”

Meymey resurfaced in time to hear this. “My vangill is here only to protect me.”

“A bodyguard?” The Alpha looked very interested.

Marvin said, “I will explain vangill later.”

“You most certainly will,” replied Alec, sounding, for the first time exactly as Sato expected an Alpha to sound.

Sato used his tail to propel himself backward in the water. Allowing Meymey to float forward until she was directly next to him. After a moment’s thought, he shifted sides so that he was between her and the lesbian kelpie. The Bay Area certainly was… different.

The Alpha was still focused on him. Sato respected that. He was the biggest threat to the pack, even if Meymey had all the authority. “You were the one who saved the boy this morning at the pier?”

“Why do the humans let their young wander near open water when they cannot swim?” Meymey asked.

Alec chuckled. “A question for the ages. Humans are unfathomable at the best of times.”

“They have so many children, I guess they can afford to be careless with them,” added Meymey.

“Is this morning’s child okay?” Sato asked, out of polite interest, not real concern.

“He was none the worse for wear,” replied Marvin. “Why didn’t you stay longer? His parents wanted to thank you.”

“Human gratitude is exhausting,” replied Sato.

“You’ve experienced a lot of it, have you?”

“My vangill has many of your medals of valor , I believe they are called. They call him a hero .” Meymey was oddly proud of this.

“You’ve rescued humans before?” That was Max, the interesting one. The one who asked unusual questions.

“Countless times,” answered Sato, because it was true. Even after Hawaii he often answered the call to help. It broke the monotony of his hunting. Sato experienced nothing but endless disappointment from the land, where he had to behave in order to search, not kill. Where he could not lash out every time, it gave him nothing. No Patrick. Their disasters were Sato’s opportunity to use speed and sometimes even spurs. It’s not so much that he liked being challenged by the humans’ persistent failure to plan for catastrophe. It was more that adrenaline broke the numbness of Patrick’s absence. At least for a brief time. There was always something – some ship capsizing, some bridge collapsing, some ferry run aground.

If Sato Daiki, Vangill of the Deep, was available and nearby, the Paralia allowed him to answer the call. She knew he was good at it. She liked the favors owed. It was as if she collected them.

The humans, however, kept giving him medals as if that were adequate compensation. The paperwork to go with them got registered with DURPS. Sato kept them all in a safety deposit box in a bank in Waikiki. What else could he do with them? Plus he might need to cash them in for those favors. Humans were very into paperwork.

“Where on earth do you pin them?” wondered Max, looking at Sato’s bare chest, at his impressive scale pattern there.

“My point exactly!” replied Sato.

Meymey was confused. “What are you talking about now, my vangill?”

“Heroism,” replied Sato. “Speaking of which…” he prompted her.

She brightened. “Oh yes. That child. We saved him. You owe us now, don’t you?”

“The boy’s parents owe you,” said the Alpha.

Meymey pretended not to be crestfallen. “No, you owe us. You, the San Andreas Pack, custodians of this land and all who dwell here.”

Alec said, “The pack claims this territory but we are not responsible for the humans within it. Too many of them to keep track of. I mean, we will help them if asked nicely, and paid properly, but by and large we look after the local shifter population and supernatural affairs. Humans only make that messy.”

“I resemble that remark,” said Max.

“More than anyone else ever could,” replied Alec.

“And yet I am a member of your pack,” replied the human.

“A brilliant exception to the rule.” Alec had a very soft smile.

Max’s answering smile was not soft. It was insincere and a little evil. Max may be human but there had to be a really good reason Alec had brought him to this meeting. Sato thought that reason lurked in the evilness of that smile.

Meymey looked at Sato. “I am sorry you wasted your efforts on a valueless human infant.”

Sato shrugged. “It made us look good either way. A favorable first impression. Even if it is only on the local two legs.”

“Very favorable,” said Marvin. “There are videos and stills of you all over the interwebs now. You have a fan group on WooTube. There is this one long shot of your bare ass on Schlock Tok that has over a million views.”

Alec looked at his mate, smile indulgent. “And how many of those million are you?”

Marvin said, without pause, “Enough for me to know he’d fit in your jeans, babe.”

“Is that a good thing?” wondered Meymey. She meant Sato’s new interweb fame and any benefit it might have on them and their diplomatic mission.

But Marvin said, “Not really. Alec has terrible taste and a limited wardrobe. He only owns four pairs of pants, rotates through them.”

“Five,” corrected his mate. “There’re those stripper ones you insisted on, remember?”

“How could I forget?”

“How could you.”

Meymey said, frustrated, “No, I mean is it a good thing that my vangill is popular on your interwebs?”

Alec said, “Shouldn’t you ask him that?”

Sato hadn’t thought much about it. He knew he had a spectacular tail – maybe that meant he had an equally spectacular ass. Patrick had always seemed to appreciate it.

Patrick used to sink his sharp little nails into it while they fucked. Leaving crescent moons of appreciation. Sato loved the sting. They healed over, of course. But Sato had enjoyed admiring them in the mirror after – little red half scales on his human skin. As if Patrick had marked him with the sea.

“My vangill is much admired wherever he goes,” said Meymey. “I meant, is that a good thing for me ?”

Marvin wiggled his head side to side. “Well, that rather depends on how you feel about millions of people checking out your lover’s junk.”

“That’s disgusting.” Meymey spoke without thinking about it. “He is most certainly not my lover.”

The kelpie looked smug. “There, you see?”

Marvin cocked his head. “I thought you all fucked your vangills? Isn’t that your thing ? Aren’t vangill the only mermen that mermaids actually want to screw?”

“You speak our secrets awfully easily, don’t you?” That was Cascade, the only one who had not met Marvin before. Because she had been off hunting and doing her duty for the people of the sea. Harvesting sperm for the continuation of the species. Because she could not get Sato to fuck her.

Marvin said, tone siren-sharp. “Did you miss my introduction? I am Alpha-mate to this pack. The secrets of the deep are not mine to keep, nor do I have any intention of doing so. I remain friendly with my sister’s pod, when they deign to visit me, but I am of this pack now, not the sea. I owe you nothing, least of all my loyalty.”

Sato thought it very brave of him to admit such things openly. Also a little stupid. This was politics. One simply did not give out allegiance information like that and expect to keep playing the game. Now Meymey knew where Marvin stood, and that he wasn’t to be trusted. He stood on land, definitively. Had grown roots there. Humans used fish for food and fertilizer. He wondered what werewolves used them for.

But Alec looked pleased and proud of his mate.

Meymey said, “But presumably you would still like to swim in our water?”

“Is that a threat, Paralia?” Marvin sounded casual, but he was something more. Afraid? No. Angry .

“Just a statement.”

Alec seemed more amused than offended.

Sato thought he should have better control of his mate.

Sato himself was still processing the dynamics. Alpha-mate. Marvin was actually Alpha-mate, which meant he and Alec were together . Married or the furry equivalent. Remarkable.

Meymey said, “So Alpha Alec, your merman tells me you are the singer here. And you meet me with him, a kelpie, and a human,” she pointed at each, “in tow. We must assume this as truth. No matter how odd it is for a four-footed creature to sing for the local seas. Therefore I must apologize. We were remiss in not informing you of our visit ahead of time. Although in my defense, we had assumed notifying DURPS was sufficient. Shouldn’t they have told you, if you sing for the San Francisco Bay?”

Alec looked uncomfortable, glancing between Marvin and Ms Trickle.

Finally he said, “Why are you here, Paralia?”

“I am here to attend your marine biology conference. We all are.” It was a matter of public record – she had already told DURPS.

The Alpha just stood there, staring at them, apparently dumbfounded.

Sato had no idea why he should be so shocked.

Finally Alec said, “The Oceanic Conference on Threats to Marine Biodiversity and Population Decline?”

“I see you’ve heard of it.”

Another long pause while the Alpha simply blinked at them.

“Why should you be surprised? Are merfolk not a part of marine biodiversity? Do we not have a vested interest in this field?”

“I’ve just never had merfolk show up to a conference before,” replied the Alpha.

Now Meymey was confused. “Why should you know or care?”

Marvin was grinning. Sato narrowed his eyes. In fact, all of those on land now seemed to be deeply amused at Meymey’s expense.

Marvin said, “Allow me to reintroduce my boyfriend to you. This is Alec Frederiksen, principal consultant at Super Submersion, Adjunct Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University, whose focus is on Marine Microbial Ecology and Oceanography.”

Alec cleared his throat, suddenly nervous. “I’m actually, um, presenting at that conference.”

Sato couldn’t help it, he just started to laugh, it was so unexpected. “I see you married the job.”

Marvin flicked him off. “We aren’t married yet, but many have said something similar.”

Meymey turned to Sato, eyes huge in surprise. “I guess the local werewolf Alpha actually is the singer for the area?”

Alec sighed. “I don’t suppose you got tickets? Registered to attend? Anything like that?”

“We were just going to show up,” said Meymey.

Alec took a breath, looked briefly up at the heavens. “Uh huh. Looking like that, at a conference with a bunch of biologists? Twelve mermaids? In bathrobes, no doubt.”

“Without tickets,” agreed Sato, enjoying the werewolf’s exasperation.

“I have a suit,” chirruped Cascade, from behind them.

Alec slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “I suppose I can’t tell you not to attend, right?”

Meymey made a face. “Right.”

“It starts tomorrow evening,” said Marvin, regarding them all with a whole new expression of interest.

“It sure does,” said Alec.

“Girls,” crowed Marvin, “I’m going to take you shopping!”

Max said, deadpan, “There are twelve of them, Marvin.”

Without missing a beat Marvin said, “Girls, I’m going to take you thrifting !”

The kelpie started to laugh.

Sato relaxed slightly. “This is the weirdest bunch of shifters I’ve ever encountered.”