Heart of Shell (The Mercrutian Chronicles Book 1) (11 page)

“
How exactly are you taking me home?” I asked, as the thought dawned on me.

“
My ATV is over there.” He said pointing to it hidden between some trees.

“
Oh,” I replied, a little astonished that he had ridden it out here. Then again snow, ice, or rain were things that wielded to most Mers. There was no danger there. He picked up more snow as we walked.

“
You should soak the scales again,” he said moving closer to me as if to complete the task himself. I hopped two feet away from him bending down for snow of my own, which I hastily stuffed under my coat and clothing, shuddering at the sudden chill.

“
I got it! All set to go,” I said grabbing the helmet he handed me. I slapped it on and finally looked him square in the eye. He had a pained expression on his face.

“You’re going to have to hold onto me, Anya,” his words almost apologetic.

“
That’s fine.” I said terse, wishing that he would stop saying my name in such an intimately lyrical way. The scales spread to my buttocks and I jumped, yelping in pain. So I shifted,letting some of the snow drip down over them. “Can we get a move on it?” I asked gritting my teeth. For a moment, I wondered if he had anticipated our first tense moments.

He nodded and fired the engine up. I climbed on wrapping my arms around his waist. I was actually thankful for the distracting feel of me hugging him. The scales spread out a few more times along the ride, and sweat broke out on my upper lip and along my spine. By the time we arrived at my house I was exhausted, emotionally and physically. I jumped off the four-wheeler as soon as he cut the engine, and pulled off the helmet quickly tossing it to him.

“
Thanks,” I said ready to turn and run into the house, “I owe you one.”

He flipped up the visor on the helmet. “Anya wait, about what Murdock said...” But I couldn’t wait, I was in pain, and angry, and sad. I couldn’t deal with him and Gina right now, not with my body in the middle of a huge change. I ran quickly up the porch and into the house, not even bothering to lock the door behind me and stripped off my clothes while I made my way to the bathroom.

I turned the spout on full blast and soaked myself underneath the shower. Immediately, I felt relief. The water splashing down on me was so soothing. Finally, I felt the water washing the pain away. I stayed that way, with my forehead against the tiles, for a good ten minutes before I realized I needed to move. For the first time I got to take a good look at my scales. I had seen other Mer scales before, my parents’ scales were both red, and most Mers were a mixture of green and blue. Yet mine were none of those colours. At first, they  seemed to be all three colours, but the more I looked at them the more I realized the base of the scale was purple— that was odd.

My parents came home half an hour later and discovered me still soaking in the bathtub. By that time the scales had spread all over, but were now slowly retreating, making swirling patterns in a sheen against my skin.

“
Oh my poor little one,” she said to me crouching against the side of the tub. She brushed aside my wet hair, her eyes filled with sorrow. “Your father and I feel terrible that we weren’t there for you when the transformation started. We came as soon as we got the message. Are you alright?”

“
Mmmhmmm,” I mumbled softly, my eyes closed in rest. “I am fine, Mom.” My tail swished down and sank into the water slowly.

“
We should have been here,” she said scowling.

“
I forgive you.” I said wanting her to let go of her guilt. I heard a light rap at the door. My father opened it only a smidgen, enough so that he could speak through the crack.

“
How are you Tiger Shark?” He asked with the same sadness in his voice.

“
I’m fine Dad, really, you two shouldn't feel so sad.” Mers were terrible for feeling guilty, especially when they felt they had failed a loved one.

“
I promise I won’t come in sweetheart, but your mother and I are truly sorry.”

“
Just buy me a big chocolate cake,” I said jokingly, but really wanting to stuff my face with some. The combination of the physical pain and emotional trauma had me desperately seeking the comfort of sugary food.

“
I’m on it,” he said in a serious tone and closed the door. I could hear the jingle of keys and I knew he had left the house for the cake.

“
Oh we need more Perrier too,” my mother suddenly realized, “be right back love.”

Half an hour after
that, once my tail had dissipated back into my humanoid legs, I was seated at the kitchen table, slowly shovelling chocolate cake into my mouth. The rich cocoa was decadent on my tongue. I was tired, far more tired than I had expected to be.

“
You need your rest Anya,” My mother said watching my lids droop, “the change that took the place is only the beginning, it’s the first major trigger towards your transformation and you can expect many more changes in the weeks to come.”

I already knew what she was telling me. I had read all the books on my transformation. I had asked dozens of questions on when I would change and why it was taking so long. I had prepared myself for the shift two years earlier since most Mer’s scale just before the age of twelve. Now that it had happened, I felt unprepared. After two years of no signs, I had feared that it would never even take place.

Yet, here it was--my transcendence. Of course, after I had finally found a mate, one who didn't want me, would I begin to transform into something else. I felt no different though. I was still the same person with my similarly neurotic thoughts. I hadn't instantly grown long shiny hair and filled out. All of a sudden I didn't want to change. I wanted to stay as the same me I had been all along. I glanced in the nearby mirror and realized, I had been beautiful all along, and becoming a Mer had nothing to do with it.

“
I'm going to bed.” I said plopping my dish and fork into the sink.

My parents didn't even protest that I had left a dirty dish there as they watched me walk up the stairs.

“
Get some rest honey,” my mom called to me.

“Sleep well,” my dad echoed.

I nodded my head and then added cheekily, “yeah...hold my calls, will you?”

I woke up the next
morning jerking forward with the feeling that I was falling. It was that treacherous feeling of being so close to the edge of something and then tumbling down before you could stop yourself. My heart was pounding.

“
Are you okay?” I heard from my window seat. I looked up to see Merrick getting up and making his way over to me.

Was I dreaming?
I pinched myself hard on my arm and he sat beside me and rubbed my reddened skin.

“
You’re not dreaming Anya.” He said, his voice falling over me like cool silk. I shuddered and he pulled the blankets up around me. “Our parents all got called into Halifax because of some glitch in the big project they’re working on. They didn’t want to leave you alone so soon after scaling.”

“
Oh.” I said softly.

“
Rayne, Pearl, and Coral wanted to come over, but I figured it would be good for us to talk.”

“
Yeah I guess so,” I said not wanting to admit to myself that we desperately needed to talk.

“
Here, you should drink some water,” he said handing me a glass. “You need to hydrate.” I drained the contents of it and placed the empty cup back on my nightstand. Merrick got up for a moment and riffled through his carrier bag left by on the window seat. He pulled out a small plastic container.

“
You’ll want to use this.” He said as he wiggled it in his hand. He returned to me, and sat on the bed, only this time he was much closer.

“
Give me your arm,” he said twisting off the cap letting a strongly herbed smelling scent waft into the air. I could tell there was seaweed in the concoction that looked like a thick cream.

Hesitantly, I removed my left arm from beneath the blanket and lifted it towards him. He warmed some of the spread in his palms before rubbing it onto my skin and as he massaged it felt delightful. I wanted to collapse again in relaxation. My eyes grew droopy enjoying the pressure of his touch.

“
You must not talk about me with your parents much,” he said suddenly grabbing some more of the cream and rubbing it in.

“
What makes you say that?”

“
Well, they let me come over here and stay with you.”

“
Yeah and...”

“
Well that must mean that you haven’t told them what a jerk I am.”

I let his comment sink in, wondering what had brought that out.

“
Are you a jerk?” I asked.

“
You know what I mean. Sometimes I can be.”

“
What makes you say that?”

He rubbed his neck.
“
I guess, I neglect you at school, and Gina. There’s Gina.”

I frowned.

“
You’re not a jerk. Gina is mostly.”

His eyes intensified while looking at me as though he was agreeing.

I shrugged. “I guess that makes you a jerk by association, Loverboy”

He looked at me confused. “You weren’t supposed to say that.”

“
No?” I asked with my eyebrow arched quizzically. “What was I supposed to say?” I asked in playful whisper.

“
That’s all wrong.” He said, a thought-filled look on his face like he was deciphering a complex mathematical equation.

I shrugged. “What can you do?” And then offered him my other arm, I was taking full advantage of a doting Merrick while I could. He rubbed absentmindedly.

“
I saw...” he began and trailed off staring off into space.

“
Saw?” I asked. “What do you mean you saw?”

He didn’t answer my question.

“
Nothing just... Has Zale spoken to you at all?”

“
Lately?” I asked. “No. Actually, I don’t think we’ve ever spoken. Maybe once, back in November.” There was that dream I had, but that didn’t count. I wasn’t about to tell him about it and sound all crazy.

“
He said he would speak to you.” He looked at me more sternly, as though I were lying.

“
He hasn’t spoken to me, Merrick. I’m sorry. I don’t really know why your brother needs to talk to me, but he hasn’t since before my birthday. Isn’t he in Atlantis anyway?”

“
He argued with me about it for hours. I begged him not to, but he said you deserved to know.”

“
Know what?” I said suddenly wondering if I really was dreaming again.

“
Nothing.”

“
Nothing?” I asked annoyed. “Alright fine, don’t tell me, but at least tell me what was supposed to happen twenty seconds ago.”

He was silent for a moment, still rubbing the cream in before a mischievous smile crept up on his mouth,

“
Merrick.”

He sighed. “You were supposed to say ‘You’re not a jerk, but you could always be nicer to me.’”

“
Oh really? I think what I said was far more interesting. That sounds boring.”

“
Well, then I was supposed to kiss you.” He looked up at me, his teal eyes intoxicating.

My stomach fluttered at the mere thought, but I couldn’t help, but scowl thinking about the first time Merrick had kissed me, and then the confusing dream with Zale.

“What is it with you Price boys and kissing me?” I muttered.

“
What?” Merrick asked as he jerked back and his face darkened. His eyebrows knit with anger.

“
Oh no. That’s not what I meant...” I began with my hand held out.

“
You meant that Zale kissed you!”

“
No! NO! He didn’t! I promise you he didn’t. It was just some weird dream I had around my birthday.”

“
That’s even worse!” He shouted, “He’s being sneaky!”

“
Why are you so mad?” I asked reaching out to touch his hand. “It was a dream Merrick.” I stared at him while his jaw tensed. He didn’t look at me, shook his head in disapproval.

He finally spoke through gritted teeth. “Because you’re my mate, and he knows it.” A lesser Mer would have shouted at him that he had kissed Gina, and stormed out of the room in a fit, but I was not that Mer. Instead I chose my words carefully.

“
You’re not being fair. It was a dream Merrick. It’s not like you had to witness his tongue in my mouth. It was a peck, in a dream.” I was his? He used the word ‘my’ yet definitely didn’t seem very possessive of me.

His eyes shot back to mine with a pained expression. “I’m sorry, Anya.” He said softly. “I really am. It’s just that... Oh how do I explain to you what it is I feel...”

“
It’s fine.” I said, still annoyed but too tired to argue. I gave him the arm he had not finished. He resumed with the lotion.

“
What else happened in the dream Anya?”

I sighed, not really want to seem fanciful, but it wouldn’t hurt to tell him. “He told me that he could teleport through water, and that he could see into the future, especially when someone was faced with a choice, and he gave me the e-reader that you two bought me for my birthday, which by the way you never told me if you ever read that thank you letter I wrote you.”

He had nodded as I spoke considering each thing. “I read it. It was appreciated. What else Anya?”

“
That’s it.” There was no way I was telling him that Zale had told me Merrick loved me, and that he himself loved me. That would just open another can of worms that I preferred to leave on the shelf, and possibly in a dimly lit corner.

“
That’s it?” He didn’t look very convinced.

“
Oh and he said he needed my help, which I promised to provide.” Why I was telling Merrick all of this, I didn’t know. I felt that it was partly the guilt of knowing that it hurt him to hear that Zale has kissed me in a dream. It was as if it affected him more so than it hurt me to see him with Gina. There was rage and pain rumbling beneath the surface of his exterior.

“
Alright so he did speak with you through a dream,” he said in realization.

“
He can do that?”

“
Yes.” Merrick nodded and then it was as if he released all of the darkness he was carrying. “Its fine that he kissed you. I’ll deal with it later. Are you going to give me your bare legs now?” He asked grabbing more of the cream.

I suddenly remembered that I had taken my pants off when I had jumped into bed the night before and was now only wearing my tee shirt a pair of boxer short underwear with a pattern of little Christmas boxes on them.

“
How do you know my legs are bare?”

“
I told you I saw this happening differently.”

“
You
saw it? Not you too!” I asked my voice embarking on a higher pitch. He looked at where my legs would be underneath the covers and I shivered a bit from the intensity of his eyes.

“
Yes Anya, I saw it
through
Zale, he shared the vision. So...” He glanced at my legs again looking a little too eager.

“
You want me to just be a hussy, don’t you?”

He laughed a deep and rich laugh.

“
What exactly happened Merrick? In the version of what you saw.” I eyed him suspiciously.

He looked away from me, trying to contain his amusement at my questioning.

“We kissed.”

“That’s it?” Now it was my turn to ask.

“
A lot,” he admitted. “Maybe for hours, I dunno.”

“Hours...” I whispered, starting to picture the image mentally. I shifted in the bed feeling a blush overtake my face.

“
Your human side is coming out,” he said with a wink, “Mers are never this modest.” He sighed. “You’re going to have to give me those legs of yours miss, my hands are already covered.” I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing came out so he continued.

“
Don’t worry, you’ll like it.” He wiggled his eyebrows. I wanted to giggle, because of his sudden comical display, but stopped myself. He was right. If I was more like a Mer I’d be looking for ways to entice him, not holding back.

“
Don’t laugh,” I said. I had decent thighs considering the rest of me was too small, but my calves were slender.

“
I won’t.” He replied.

Thankfully he started with my ankles. I think I would have gone into shock if he had touched my thighs right away. He knew I was nervous so he worked his way up each leg a little at a time making sure they were equal, when he got to my knees I realized I was a goner.

He was gentle with my thighs, but by that point I was all hot and bothered and I couldn’t take anymore. It felt too intimate with him being here in my room, with how he was caring for me. He had barely rubbed a little bit of the salve on before he went to get more cream, when I lost it.

“
Merrick stop!” I cried out. He paused immediately and his eyes hesitated. I flung myself back on the bed in relief when he didn’t continue. He closed the jar instead and lay down beside me. His head propped up by his arm.

“
You’re too tense Anya.”

I bit my lip, purposely not looking at him. So he titled my face in his direction.

“
You know I won’t hurt you, right? I’d never make you do anything you don’t want.”

I looked into his eyes, into the depth of them swirling beautifully and felt comforted. He would never hurt me. He couldn’t harm me and I trusted him.

“
I know.” I responded softly. Then I did what I should have done earlier, I leaned forward and kissed him. Being close to him felt right, and that was what made me most nervous. I didn’t know if I would be able to keep resisting him, giving him the space that he seemed to want.

He deepened the kiss so slightly, so softly and then pulled me into his arms into an embrace. We lay like that for a little while, with me nestled into his side and him sneaking occasional kisses. Kisses that I hadn’t expected him to want.

“
How can you kiss me when you’re dating her?” I finally asked my finger running along his forearm.

He smiled at me, his eyes incredible and intoxicating. “Because, I’m a jerk,” he said and then he hugged me tighter, letting out a deep sigh.