The Mermaid That's Sweetest

23] A Second Beginning

"Leave," Eros snarls quietly, through his gritted teeth. He waits for me to run but I stand my ground, "Leave me –!"

"Shut up!" I snarl over the top of him, "You'll not use my words against me."

Eros half smirks before the pain is too much, and he grimaces and leans back, his hair willowing out, his ocean blue eyes staring at the dawning sky. He chuckles, half-heartedly and in his rough way.

"You're a horrible mate and a monster," I speak, I do not yell, I don't need to, "But you're going to bleed to death and fate brought me here to fix you one last time."

"Did it?" Eros flips up his tail and cringes in his attempt to show me strength, and more blood just pumps out.

"Stop moving!" I stamp my foot and fling off my robe, grabbing his tail and wrapping the cloth around the wound, "I'll wrap this gash and you'll be swimming by night fall. Fucking your Sirens by the moon. And slashing heads off necks for dinner. The only thing you need me for right now, is a patch job. The last one you'll ever get off me, you soulless, ungrateful eel..." I look up and Eros is shaking, physically jerking, growing whiter by the second.

He's heart is failing.

Oh, no, oh, no, oh no!

I lunge over his tail, my own heart getting the better of me. My intense panic rips all my hatred out of my bones and nothing is left but my need to save a life. I fall in the bloody pool and grab his head in both my hands, yanking him into the curve of my neck.

"Drink!" I scream at him, "Quickly!"

Nothing happens, for a second... and my panic causes my pulse to beat loud... tempting him... come on... come on...

"...n..o...," the weakest response ever is growled past Eros' lips.

"Drink!" I scream it twice and Eros' still lips caress my neck, even while he's body goes into shock.

"...forgive me first..." he forces out the whisper, somehow it's both manipulative and seductive, even as the bastard is dying, "...Li-ly..."

"You're insane! Don't make me... oh... shit," I hold his head tight to my neck, urging him to drink before he made me say it. I hold my tongue, Eros' skin grows colder by the second... this bastard... this stubborn shark, stupid eel! If I waited any longer it'd be too late, "...I forgive you! Drink!" I hiss it, closing my eyes, holding my forehead down to his shoulder.

Eros' weakly opens his jaw and sinks his fangs into my neck.

He had no will to excrete any happy hormones for me. I whimper with the sharp pain, crying from the thickness ripping past my flesh, digging into my blood supply.

I can't help but cry as he drinks. I'm confused, in a combination of relief and every other emotion, tearing me one way and then another.

Forgiveness. He didn't deserve it. But he asked for it. Which was a wayward apology. Almost.

Every breath I take shakes horribly, and eventually Eros drinks a bit deeper and a bit faster. I wince the most at this last part, feeling a strong exhale from his nose as he's organs start pumping again.

I feel a little faint, the first hint he needed to stop and Eros instantly pulls out, licking my wound shut. He doesn't pull up straight away.

I wait, feeling his lips stay on my neck, as one working, strong arm wraps around my waist very slowly and he pulls me into his torso. Eros shifts, slightly, pulls my naked body down deeper into the water... he tries to stay conscious, but his head leans up, only to loll to the side before it flops back... he passes out then, but his sharp nails dig into my hip, his arm still tensed and tight around me.

Don't go. He didn't want me to go.

I hold him for a minute, waiting until I feel his heart beat through his chest, thumping steady and just fine. I listen to his lungs open and close through my ear. Everything sounds fine.

I slowly pry off him, his nails scrapping through my skin, every move I take hurts my heart.

"I'm sorry... Eros... " I whisper, knowing he can't hear me while he's sleeping. I move his arm from my hip and I sit on the edge of the pool, "I can't stay..." I gulp, "...I can't be walked over anymore... I have to find out who I am... I have to go... you'll be safe... you'll... be fine..." I choke up on a rising sob as I stand against that kind part of my soul.

That sweetest part.

I wanted to hold him until he woke up.

I wanted to stay.

But if I did, he'd wake up and he'd have no respect for me. He'd never respect me. He'd abuse the fact I caved in.

So, I had no choice but to go. I had to keep my sanity, build my strength and learn who I was. Until then, I wouldn't know how to handle someone like him.

Eros would be the end of me. I had to save myself before I tried to face a challenge like that. I wasn't ready.

Not yet.