I lay motionless, staring up through the slits in the net. The storm above the surface raged on, relentless, unforgiving, and all on my account. A barnacled white hull overhead still circled, completely at the mercy of a livid, fluid force more powerful than anything the men onboard had ever encountered. The sight helped to calm me. Shaky breaths left my lungs in quick spurts as I regained my composure. 

Let the sea tear them to pieces.

Even as I thought it, I reminded myself this wasn’t the sea punishing their selfish nature. She wasn’t this violent and vicious. She was gracious and disciplined. The ocean gave me the opportunity to turn back, to keep my tail in the water where it belonged. It was my choice to ignore the warning, and any fate that might have befallen me would have been my own doing. If I had ended up stuffed inside the vessel’s holding tank, I’d have no one to blame but myself.

While the ocean was content to allow such a consequence, someone else refused to let that happen. 

“Lennox,” I said, trying my voice. The sound was strained and croaky, muffled by the fright still lingering in my chest. I coughed hard, clearing the wariness, and tried again. “Lennox! I’m over here.” 

The waters went still at once, and I marveled at the smokescreen created as sediment returned to the bottom. Slowly, clarity restored itself, and even a small fish skirted past when the water returned to calm. From the corner of my eye, a shadow approached, trudging closer with a familiar awkward effort.

“There you are,” Lennox announced with a sigh of relief. “I saw them pull you up, and I wasn’t sure I could get to you quick enough. They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

He knelt beside me, slicing through the netting with his blade in expert swipes. His fingers gripped the butt of the knife, but the shining dagger acted as an extension of his body. The blade landed where he commanded it, even without him having to look. Lennox was truly a master of his trade—a warrior in every right.

I beheld this feature with a newfound admiration. His ferociousness had filled me with rage a brief time ago, but there was no denying he could use that nature to benefit the ocean and all who lived in it. It was his choice, and he chose to use his gift to save me instead of fleeing. 

“No,” I answered. “They didn’t even get me on the deck.”

“Good. Stay here. I’ll be back.”

“Wait, where are you going?” I lunged forward, grabbing his hand. The movement sent a tremendous pain through my tail, starting at the fork and resonating the entire length. It gave out from under me, plopping me to the floor with a pitiful cry of anguish.

Lennox rushed to my side, searching my tail for injury. “You are hurt,” he accused. “For crying out loud, Angelique. The fork of your tail is split clear in half. Why do you have to try to act so tough? You should’ve told me you were in pain.”

I sucked in a breath, trying to will back the moisture burning in my eyes. It didn’t help. Lennox’s jaw flexed as he watched a stream of shimmering tears float from my face. Good Poseidon, I hated crying. Having him witness it was downright humiliating.

“It doesn’t hurt that much,” I lied. “And I didn’t even know I was injured until I tried to swim.”

He nodded in understanding. “Adrenaline from the shock must’ve masked it. There’s no way you’re going to be able to swim on your own.”

“Well, you’re certainly not capable of carrying me the whole way.”

“Sure I am. I was planning to create a current from here to Finfolkaheem anyway. It’ll take us a little longer, but we’ll just ride the stream instead of swimming with it.”

I arched a brow at him. “You’re going to create a current?”

“Yeah. That’s what I was trying to do when I ran out of air. Speaking of which, we probably won’t be able to make it in one shot now. I’ll have to stop to breathe at some point.”

If the idea of relying on him to get me from here to there made me uncomfortable before, it terrified me now. With a split fork, there would be no fending for myself at all. Lennox would be my sole source of protection. While I didn’t question his capabilities any longer, playing the mermaid in distress was not a role I was accustomed to. I preferred to take care of myself.

“Maybe we should go back to Atargatis,” I proposed. “Myrtle can heal me, then we can set out again.”

“We’ll get you help in Finfolkaheem. We have some of the best healers in the ocean, I promise.”

I chewed on my bottom lip, coming to terms with the fact that I had no choice in the matter. Without the ability to swim on my own, where I went was completely up to him.

Lennox moved closer, swiping a curl from my face. He leaned in, pressing his lips against my forehead. The heat of his skin stunned me. As he pulled away, I was left to catch my breath. Static remained where his mouth had been, a lingering phantom that soothed me far more than it should have.

“I need you to trust me,” he said, his green eyes sparkling with sincerity. “I’m going to finish those sailors off before they get away. When I get back, we’ll head out.”

“No,” I begged, sounding more desperate than I had anticipated. “Don’t go.”

He took my hand again, brushing his soft lips against my knuckles. “They can’t get away with what they did to you. I won’t let them.” 

As much as he infuriated me, I ached for his closeness. I tried to tell myself it was just the ordeal, that I was simply shaken up and he was the closest being around, but that wasn’t the whole of it. 

The Lennox I thought I knew, the bloodthirsty killer only out for my mother’s head, had the opportunity to rid himself of me and take off on his own to Finfolkaheem. No one could blame him if he had. I had a pension for running off, and my aunt wouldn’t question the story. He could get away free and clear. 

I stumbled on my words, the tenderness behind them alien to me. “Lennox… I-I’d prefer you to stay with me.”

His eyes widened, my admission shocking him as much as me. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

“You came back for me,” I said, my voice soft and vulnerable.

“Of course I did.”

“But… you’re a warrior. I thought you didn’t go around saving the ocean’s unfortunates.”

A smirk played on the edge of Lennox’s lips. He tugged at my hand, pulling me against his chest. This time, I didn’t resist. Instead, I relished in the way his skin set mine ablaze. I didn’t fight the electricity crackling between us. It was there, like it or not, and it felt delicious.

“Are you kidding me? I was doing those guys a favor. They’d no sooner get you on deck before they’d throw you back in.”

I slid my hands up his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Is that so? You rescued me for their benefit?”

“Absolutely. That sharp tongue of yours would slice their ears right off. They wouldn’t be able to stand listening to you for more than a few minutes.” 

“I’m that terrible, am I?” I asked playfully. 

His lips hovered over mine, so close I could almost taste them. My pulse raced at the thought. Suddenly, I couldn’t think of anything in the ocean I wanted more. Calloused fingertips drummed on the small of my back, sending jolts through my body each time one landed. 

A brazen nature overcame my senses as I ran my gaze along the length of him. He truly was a wondrous sight. Literally aglow, he was fit and stunning. Eels swam about in my stomach as I took him in.

“Some may call you positively awful,” he murmured, closing his eyes as I walked my fingers along his breastbone. His reaction filled me with bravery, urged me to continue. I traced his jawline with my lips until he let out a soft moan. 

“I’ve heard that,” I admitted. “Treacherous and mouthy, too. And what about you, Lennox? What would you call me?” 

He took a deep breath, then opened his eyes, holding my stare. “Bold. Determined. Engaging. Bewitching.” His pupils dilated, and the lust in them would be my undoing. 

Soft trembles shook my hands as I drank his words in. Troublesome and loudmouthed was how people had described me. It was my nature, and there was no changing it. But Lennox spoke as if those qualities were endearing, something to be proud of. I squinted at him, struggling to wrap my head around the way his approval made my chest swell with pride. 

Ignoring the biting sting that came as I swished my tail, I pushed up, closing the distance between us until his mouth crashed into mine. Rough hands roamed my back, then tousled in my hair. He slid one hand to cup my face, returning my kiss harder and more urgent than I could bear. 

I melted into him. His hungry lips sucked the air from my lungs, once again putting my gills into overdrive to compensate. A burning heat enveloped me. I pulled back, breathless and astounded at the passion that sent my heart skipping beats. I hadn’t even known I could feel this way. My inexperience with males, mermen or otherwise, had left me stranded in this unfamiliar territory. 

“Are you all right?” he whispered, still holding me against him.

My fingertips searched out my tingling lips, covering them. While they were always plump, his kiss left them swollen and full of life. I nodded, concealing a stupid grin. “I’m fine. It’s just… that was my first kiss.”

Lennox’s eyebrows shot up as his mouth fell open. He held me at arm’s length, searching my face for a lie. “There’s no way. You’re a grown mermaid. How could you make it to eighteen without ever kissing another merman?”

I jerked away from his touch, immediately on the defensive. “There weren’t any mermen around until recently, remember? Not until Myrtle took the throne and some immigrated from Atlantis.”

“But what about humans? You girls used to pull them down by the boatloads.”

“Only if we were fated to be with them. The ocean never paired me with a mate.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, seeming unsure. “Wow. All right. So, you’ve never been kissed. I wish I’d known that.”

I inclined my head, pondering the implication of the statement. Of course, now that he knew my kind only kissed those we felt destined to be with, he would think I expected a commitment. Judging by the way he stammered and kicked at the ground, the thought didn’t sit well with him.

What a squid. 

If he thought I was about to make a fool of myself— grovel and beg him to stay with me—he had another thing coming. Lennox could swim away right now and never come back for all I cared. I’d figure out a way home. I begged no one, least of all a dagger-slinging Fin-man with red hair and bloodthirsty tendencies… No matter how muscular or good-looking he was.

“Don’t worry,” I assured him. “I’m not about to get clingy. There’s not a needy bone in my body.”

He laughed, heartfelt and genuine, before drawing me in again. Lennox shook his head, then slipped a finger under my chin, tilting my head back to look at him. “Believe me, Angelique, I never thought there was. You’re the most independent, self-sufficient mermaid I’ve ever met.”

I blinked at him, speechless over his affection for what I had been taught were my most annoying traits. 

“All I meant,” he continued, “was if I had known it was your first kiss, I would’ve brought my A-game. You surprised me. I wasn’t ready.”

A tingle of anticipation danced up my spine. As incredible as our kiss was, I couldn’t imagine it being any better. My heart fluttered and I held my breath as Lennox lowered his chin, stopping just before his lips touched mine.

“Let me show you a proper kiss,” he said, his voice gruff and masculine. The deep baritone rumbled in my chest, and my stomach clenched as his lips pressed into mine. 

This time, his movements were slow and deliberate. Expert and guiding, his mouth engaged mine, turning my brain and muscles to mush. Giving in to him was against my makeup entirely. Yet, somehow, he managed to convince me to do it without even saying a word. 

As much as I hated to admit it, a part of me understood that as long as Lennox was around, I would never be in complete control.