Page 33 of Magic Potions and the Merman's Lure

“Why are you here? Are you so arrogant to ignore the markings of my breeding territory?” I growl as I approach and slowly circle him.

The male shakes his rapidly, stirring the water around him as he emerges a little more to explain himself. “N...n...no. I didn’t know.”

I peer at him. “The hunters did not educate you before allowing you out on your own? You should never have been allowed out into open waters away from your pod’s breeding grounds without learning how to recognize another’s claim. You not only entered my territory but attempted to lure my mate,” I add with a snap of my teeth.

He flinches in reaction that I know is not feigned, a look of misery crossing his face. “I... I don’t have a pod. We were already dwindling in numbers due to attacks from predators so that all that was left was my grandmothers, my mother and me when an accident killed them.” He shifts uncomfortably beneath my stare. “You are not Saluha so you may not know that Saluha pods tend to be smaller family groups scattered through vast territories of the northern waters. When my father and uncle died, we attempted to find another pod to join, but my pod did not survive the journey.”

“So you came here,” I fill in.

“The water is warmer here,” he admits. “I thought that even if I didn’t have a pod I could live here near the humans where I wouldn’t be so alone.”

“And my mate?” I ground out. “You are not even of age.”

A dull blush fills his face, but he has the grace to dip his head in acknowledgement of my words. “It is not so much that I want to mate. I don’t even have that urge yet. I just didn’t want to be alone,” he whispers.

As annoyed as I still am with him, my heart goes out to the youngling. I am technically well within my rights to chase him out of my territory but that seems too cruel despite his transgressions.

“Very well,” I say with a sigh. “Swim a little further south and you will come to the town’s harbor. Wait there for me. Do not emerge or interact with the locals. Just remain out of sight until I find you.”

He gives me an uncertain look. “Can’t I just stay with you now?”

I shake my head, my tail propelling me back through the water toward the shore. “I am with my mate. This is not a good time for you to be so close to her.”

His shoulders sag with disappointment but he nods and dives beneath the water. I watch him go with wry amusement. It seems like my pod will be expanding even quicker than I had originally imagined. I don’t know if I’m ready to be responsible for the care of a juvenile male, but I can’t in good conscience abandon him either. I just hope that Keri can accept his presence after what happened.

Chapter 22

Keri

Something is tickling my nose. That is my first thought as I slowly surface from sleep. My eyes slowly open and I blink groggily at the sight of a pale aquamarine gaze staring down at me. Ro’s lips tip in a smile as his fingers brush my hair from my face. That explains the tickling sensation.

“Ro,” I mumble. “You’re here. Is it morning already?”

“For some time now,” he replies with a chuckle. “You were sleeping very soundly.”

I frown at that and scrub the sleep from my eyes with one hand as I search with the other for my phone. Lifting it in front of my face, I squint at the clock on its face. After ten. It seems I slept in later than usual. I smother a yawn behind my hand and put my phone down.

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