The Mermaids' Mate

Chapter 6

The cold sand tickled my toes. The smell of salt and brine filled the air. I breathed it in, not wanting to forget how good it smelled.

"It's been so long since I have been this close to the ocean. I almost forgot how beautiful it looked." I ran my fingers along the cold water. One swim won't hurt. Right?

"Aren't you cold?" Asked Melissa, shivering.

"Not really. The water feels nice." Mermaids are used to the cold. They were able to swim in cold freezing waters. "You sure we're alone?" I added.

"Yes. The Alpha made sure everyone stayed away from you."

"Seems a little harsh." I laughed.

"Oops. Well, I meant the beachfront is reserved only for us."

"How were you able to pull that off?"

"Oh. My dad is the beta. Mike and I are twins remember?" Amy muttered.

"Oh yes! I forgot you two were siblings." I laughed it off.

"Yup. Be glad you're the only child. Siblings are annoying!" She groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, guys. I think I got the tent set up. No thanks to anyone of you, of course!" Melissa yelled out from the top of the hill.

"Oh shit." Amy and I both said under our breath. We had forgotten about Melissa.

"Well? Are you guys coming or what? I'm freezing my ass off!!" She had her arms crossed on her chest.

"I think I'll stay here for a bit," I said, sitting on a log.

"It's getting dark, and the tide is coming. I do- On second thoughts, I'm sure you'll be fine. Just don't get swept away by the tides."

"I'll be fine. I promise." I lied. I was scared. It's not like I lived in the ocean my whole life. I didn't know the first thing about being in the sea. What if I get swept away or eaten by a shark?

"You can do this, Nex." I looked around, making sure nobody was around. When the coast was clear, I started to undress. I threw my clothes on the log and slowly approached the water. I dipped my big toe. The water was indeed freezing. But I pushed through until the water was above my knees. "So, is something supposed to be happening?" I asked myself. "Ughh, where is Mom when I need her? Oh, that's right. She won't let me near the water!" I rolled my eyes.

Amy was right. The high tide was getting closer. The water was now above my breasts. But I was not shifting. I walked farther out until I was completely submerged. My vision adjusted, and I could now see underwater in total darkness. Mermaids had a unique photoreceptor that allowed us to see in the dark underwater, which was cool but had drawbacks. We were completely blind in the dark outside the water. The moon was our only light source.

I swam around for a bit, exploring the beautiful coral reef. There were little caves where some fishes were asleep. They seemed to be bothered by my presence. The ones awake would occasionally swim up to me, but as soon as I tried talking to them, they would swim away. My mom said that similar to wolves, we could mind-link to a fish and talk to them. But they're not real chatty.

I swam toward the edge of the reef. I shivered a little, realizing how dark and scary it was getting. Are there sharks? I hope not. I wouldn't be able to swim one without my tail out. I looked at my feet, wondering why I wasn't changing. I could breathe underwater, see, and mind-link to a fish even though none would talk back, but I was not changing. I looked at my hands. They were still human hands instead of webbed ones. What's wrong with me? I should've been able to shift since I first stepped in the water. I sat at the reef's edge, staring at the dark drop leading to the ocean floor. In the dark, the ocean sure was an eerie place.
It was mostly quiet except for the waves crashing high above me and the calls of the grey whale's miles away. As much as I would love to swim with them, I had to turn back. It was getting spooky out there. I swam to the surface to see how far I'd gone, but it was pitch dark.