Back on the mainland, her father was at the hotel to shower and dress. He took over her old room rather quickly. He obviously had a far more advanced phone from how he could get the internet on it. Instead of it flipping open, he just pushed a button on the surface of it. He made the necessary calls to his wife to show that he handled the issue, but that he would be staying out there until they appeared as a precaution. He had contacted the scuba diving school, and they agreed to give one free set of lessons to his other kids in appreciation for not mentioning the issue of his daughter to the locals. That would have been another five hundred bucks out of his pocket. Pulling up the internet on his phone, he brought up the details of the coin. Then he whistled. The coin was worth a lot of money by itself. All of the right stamps and markings were in place.
"Okay, let's see where we can get a tent. I'll handle the pearl after all that shopping is done," he sighed to himself. On getting back to the survival store he was at earlier in the day, he found a decent one on sale. Taking it off the shelf, he also grabbed a couple large bags of jerky and a massive bag of dried fruit. A large tube of high quality sunblock was next, and he picked up a guide book on deep sea fish. Then he saw a book next to it on how to cook them and grabbed that. Toiletry supplies were next, along with some medicine that could be used for more emergencies. It even included the removal of internal parasites.
After a bit more searching, he found a suture kit. I could have used that earlier! A portable kit for handling bad cuts and burns was picked up and added to the cart. One for bug bites was found and claimed. He mused to himself and got a campfire cooking kit with pans, a small rotisserie, and cooking utensils. Reusable plates, cups, and eating utensils were grabbed to go with the rest. A small trash receptacle was added. He winced at how much it was going to cost, but he told his daughter he would help her. He was just all too happy that he did have the money to burn.
"Expedition?" the sales clerk asked.
"Yeah. Roughing it a bit with the family," he grinned back. "I need to teach them that hotels aren't the only way to survive."
"Good luck!" the sales clerk chuckled, as he ran up the credit card.
"Thanks," Joel nodded. He only hoped that the dolphin would be able to bring him back to the island safely. Then he thought and cringed. I don't think that one trip is going to work. Groaning to himself, he bought another waterproof bag. That would help him. Why do I spend so much money?! Sighing, as he knew it was all for Nichole, he judged that he would only need one trip on the dolphin now. He didn't want to go back for a second round. It would actually become a third round, and he knew he wouldn't survive. Stopping at the hotel again to drop off what he just bought, he now scoped out the small tourist city for a jewelry store. He was thinking of a pawn shop, but he knew how some locals worked when it came to coins. I don't want to become the center of attention.
The cab dropped him off at a place that was well-known. He walked into the luxurious jewelry shop and started to browse the black pearl section.
"May I help you?" a lady asked in business casual dress. It reminded him of a designer suit.
"Yeah. I need a really large black pearl. The largest you have, but I need it to be one that is uncultivated. It has to be a wild pearl, if possible. It's for my daughter. A wedding gift," he smiled. She nodded cheerfully and went into the back room. What she brought out for him was perfect. It wasn't even in a setting yet. It was a three-inch round pearl. It was a deep, smoky black in clarity with a hint of purple undertones. It was clearly authentic and very natural. There were no flaws, and it looked very expensive. Frightfully expensive. This was the pearl he needed.
"We just got this in from Tahiti. It's six thousand dollars," she said calmly.
"Can I talk to your boss? I want the pearl, but I have something that I can possibly trade it with," he chuckled. "No gimmicks. I promise you."
"Oh. Um...okay..." she said with a bit of surprise and went to the back room. A rather portly Caribbean native came up to him with a groomed mustache, neat hair, and looked very well dressed.
"Can we talk privately? What I have I, ah, don't want to flash around," Joel sighed.
"Sir, you sound suspicious," the man frowned. When Joel flashed the glint of gold from his pocket, the man stammered and understood. "This way!"
"Thank you for understanding," he smiled. In the security of the office, he looked around and saw no cameras here. He got the feeling that this guy did this, too, for a living. He was likely part of the Black Market, and it could also explain how he was able to get such jewelry in his shop.
"What do you have?" the man asked. "And my name is Josue."
"Joel," he said with a nod. "I found something on the beach wrapped up in seaweed. It's authentic. I'd like to trade it for the pearl. I don't want to bring up too much attention."
"I see, I see," the man nodded. At the sight of the Spanish doubloon, the jeweler was shocked. It was very authentic and worth far more than the pearl. "Ah...oh..."
"Yes. I know what it is. I know what it's worth. I would like to trade this for the pearl that I just saw. The large black one from Tahiti. I would give the coin to my daughter as a wedding gift..."
"No, no! We can do the trade!" he said eagerly.
"But, I know how much it's worth," Joel frowned, as he played with the coin in his fingers. "It's worth, oh, maybe two of those pearls..."
"I can give you another pearl. Two pearls for the coin!"
"Are you sure? The pearl would need to be as authentic as the one I just saw. I don't want to be swindled. I mean...I could go somewhere else to trade..."
"No! I insist! We have a clear pearl just like the black one. A matching set! Will that work?"
"Oh? You do? Let me see the pearls together," Joel nodded. This would be a very nice wedding gift of sorts from him. Even Nichole had mentioned something about it. Both pearls were brought in, and Joel studied them critically. Both pearls also had the proper paperwork to show that they were natural and not cultivated. Both were very rare finds and worthy of my single coin.
"Very rare! Just like your coin," Josue nodded.
"Let's do this. I'll hold onto the pearls, but I'll stay here. You get the coin appraised. I will go nowhere. When we really know what the coin is, and its value, the trade will be complete. I don't want to give you something that is not worth the trade," he said wisely.
"Good! We can do that," the large man nodded. Joel waited patiently, as the man left to go to a reputable appraiser that he always worked with. After an hour, the man came back with a beaming smile.
"So, it is real like I thought?" Joel asked. The paperwork was shown. The coin was worth fifteen thousand dollars by itself. He didn't know how many were in the chest that was offered to them. "Can I have a copy of this paper? For myself? Just to show that I found a coin? And, I need something to show that the trade was done for my records."
"Yes!" the man nodded, and the copy was made. Another paper was drawn up for the pearls, and he was given the paperwork to them, as well. "Trade is done?"
"Yes. If I find another coin, can I come back here?" he asked. "For more business?"
"Oh, yes! I look forward to more business!" the man said cheerfully. He watched the man put the pearls in a small, black velvet box for him. The coin was placed in his safe. Nodding his thanks, he left quickly to avoid any further suspicion, but it was calm. The paperwork was folded and placed in another pocket. It was time to get back to Nichole.
The cab sped him back to the hotel, and he was able to get everything to fit in the two waterproof bags, thanks to some inventive genius. The pearls were carefully cushioned among the bags of jerky and dried fruit. He didn't want them damaged. He walked out with the waterproof bags and sighed.
"Camping trip with the family. I'm meeting them," he said to a few curious tourists. They all laughed and waved him off. "Camping trip and living accommodations. Nikki, you're turning into a Hippy! And I'm helping you do it. At least the guy is dependable. I think."
He remembered how the two of them gazed at each other, and he sighed. That was love right there. Nothing else would have convinced him, otherwise. Heading out into the ocean with the two bags, he was chest-deep in the water when the dolphin nudged him. Chuckling a bit, it waited patiently for him to get situated. Then he let it speed off with him. It was four hours that he spent in the mainland. Another hour and a half was spent getting to the island from the cargo. There were other dolphins that now swam with him to protect him. It really made him wonder.
On the island, Kilnak and his mate were still sleeping deeply. His dolphin companion swam over to squeal at them to wake them. When no answer was given, a more physical means was needed to get them to wake up. They had to know that Joel was coming.
"Wake!" Kilnak's companion chittered, as it nudged him. "Mate pod leader come!"
"Huh?" he said, as he blinked and yawned. At the repeat of the message, he nodded. He looked over and ran a webbed hand over Nichole's back. She stretched, as she woke up, and he smiled softly at her. He moved into the water now and stretched himself out. He felt much looser in the muscles from her massaging. He would definitely want that again. Gesturing for her, she moved into his embrace.
"Love Kilnak," she smiled.
"Love Nikki," he smiled back and kissed her deeply. When she moved her hands up his chest, he groaned and swiftly claimed her. She cried out with him and clung to him. Nuzzling into his neck, she sighed with complete comfort. Purring softly, he looked over at the entrance of the lagoon. He sensed something approaching, and he let her go to dress back in her swimsuit. On seeing it was her father, she sighed with relief. At the way he was grinning, she was curious.
"Dad?" she asked. He opened up the bags and took out the supplies. Then he showed her the paperwork. "Oh, wow, Dad! The coins are worth that much?!"
"Yep. We have a small fortune with them. And, see if you can get Kep. I want to show him what I got for you and your guy," he grinned. The dolphin chittered at Kilnak, and he sent out the call for his pod. The lagoon was quickly filled.
"Yes?" Kep asked, as he swam over.
"You may want to see this, Kep. Nikki, give this to, ah, Kilnak. Open it with him," Joel smiled. She took the velvet box from him and felt her heart racing. Did he really find what I needed already? She moved to Kilnak's side, and he looked at her with concern.
"Kilnak," she smiled and opened the box. At the size of the pearls, his jaw dropped. I was undisputed now. She is my mate. Even she was amazed at their size. Kep was in complete shock at the size of the pearls, and he was quick to check them out himself. At his excited tone that the pearls were completely real, Kilnak's parents were now laughing with profound joy. No other pod had moon stones of that size. Nichole took out the black pearl to give to him, as she whispered, "Love Kilnak."
"Love Nikki!" he whispered, as he took it. He looked at the other pearl in the box. He now held it out for her, and she took it. She had two large pearls from him. She belonged to no other, and a desperate kiss was shared between them now.
"Good!" Kep said with a violent nod. "Now she safe!"
"Should we hide them and take them out when we think she's in danger?" Joel asked. "Keep them secret, that is?"
"Hmm. Yes," Kep said. "Secret!"
"It might be best. This way he can show that he has claim to me. I guess," she smiled. "How do you normally keep the pearls with you?"
"Ah, stones? Oh! How hold? Carry? Like this," he said, as he gestured for a female to hold up a sharkskin pouch. All she had to do was take the pearl out to show it off. They didn't need jewelry at all.
"Can she put hers in a ring?" Joel asked, and he showed off his wedding band. "I'd say a necklace for him, but he probably deep sea dives. I'm sure of that. I don't want it to choke him. It might even hurt the skin around his neck, now that I think about it."
"Hmm. His mate, yes. That good. Kilnak, no. He good," Kep nodded.
"Maybe I can put a couple diamonds in it for you. Eh...I may have to send the pearls away, though," Joel frowned. "Do you think I can?"
"I don't think so, Dad," she sighed. "Kilnak was pretty upset when I gave the first pearl back to him to keep safe for me. I think I just need to keep it on me at all times. I should be okay. I don't want any holes drilled through it, either."
"We could wrap it in gold with a few diamonds," he grinned.
"I'm good, Dad," she insisted. Kilnak was already making a pouch for her, as it was. It was easy to hunt down a small reef shark to skin it. The meat would be used for the pod, too.
"Kep, come here," Joel said, as he brought out the deep sea fish guide. "Just so you know, the fish you feed Nikki needs to be very fresh. Anything older than a day is risky. I also wanted to know, what fish do you hunt? Um, show me pictures? So I can see what you eat?"
"Oh!" Kep said, as he swam to the beach. As he started to point out the various fish his pod hunted, Kilnak was deep in thought. I want to swim with Nikki when the moon is full. He also knew that she couldn't hold her breath for as long as he could. My pod would also want to witness us mating. Pressing a kiss to her mouth, he set her on the wet sand before moving to his parents.
"Sire, I do not think I can let the pod see me swim with my mate. She is a Land Dweller. She cannot dive as deep as we can," Kilnak frowned.
"You do bring up a valid point. She can be near the surface? We can watch from down below. Once we see that you have fully mated her, then we won't need to worry anymore," he thought.
"Can't we watch them right here? I'm sure our Elder has seen them. Even Grynkar saw them," his matriarch mused. "We know she is Kilnak's mate. The moon stones prove that!"
"Other pods will come, though. If she is challenged, the moon stones will be shown. There may be some rivalry, but that always happens. How did they find moon stones that large?! I've never seen a moon stone so big before!" his sire sighed. "Anyways, the pod does accept your mate. Let me speak with them, and we will come to a decision on this."
"Just remember, Sire. Nikki has shown me that she only wants me to see her without anything on her body. I think she's very sensitive about such a thing. It may change in time. But, right now, she may not be used to seeing others watching her. It would have to be done silently. I don't like doing this to her, but it's something that must be done. Maybe have it look like the pod is swimming away, but they really just dive down deep? Then leave after? As though to hunt?" Kilnak asked. "It would be the only way, if the pod decides to watch us here. The water is pretty deep. Maybe we should just do this now while the pod is here. Just to get it over with."
"If that is so, her pod leader is here, too. What would he think?" his matriarch asked. That made Kilnak wince. He swam over to his Elder to talk to him about it.
"Oh," Kep frowned. "Joe. Um..."
"What's up?" he asked.
"Kilnak mate Nikki. Now. Need to," Kep sighed.
"What?" he blinked. Nichole was preoccupied right now, but he lowered his tone. "Why?"
"With stones now. Show they mates. Um...much needed. So..."
"They have to have sex now to establish that they belong together?"
"Yes," Kep nodded. "But, um. We see it. Need to."
"You need to witness it? Great. Do I have to see it, too?" Joel cringed.
"No. Not you."
"Nikki might get offended."
"We hide."
"Good. I'll work on the tent, I guess. Nikki!"
"Yeah, Dad?" she asked from where she was. She was busy sorting out the equipment.
"Go fuck your husband."
"What?!" she gaped. "Why?!"
"It's gotta be done with the pearls. Kep just told me. What? You don't want to?" he smirked.
"But, everyone is here!" she flustered.
"I'll just turn around and work on the tent. I'll think of Annie and Josh arguing. I can ignore it that way. Just go to him and get it done. I gotta set this all up for you, anyways."
"Dad...okay," she sighed. "Um...what about Kilnak's family?"
"We hunt," Kep nodded.
"Fine," she said.
"Nikki," Kilnak smiled and reached out for her.
"Kilnak," she said with a soft blush. She still felt nervous.
"Love Nikki," he whispered. He kissed her gently to calm her. The safe, protective feeling she always got from him took hold. She ran a hand up his chest now and heard his soft groan.
"Love Kilnak," she whispered back. He kissed her long and deep. She didn't see how his pod acted like they were swimming out of the lagoon. They settled along the floor of it, instead, and watched how he removed her bikini. They watched him claim her as his. Many were intrigued at how their mating worked, but they wouldn't show it. He had a black pearl that now rivaled any pearls that the other pods might have. In a sense, he may not be their leader, but he was very well respected. He was giving their pod a status boost in their society. Now that they were satisfied on witnessing the union, they had to hunt down a feast to share with them.
At the sound of a phone ringing, her father pulled it out of the bag it was in. Sighing, he answered it, "Hello, Ashley. Oh, you did see some activity in the account? You got a security call? Yeah, I've been spending money. No, it's for Nikki. Hun, I'm not doing anything stupid. The bills are all paid. I did that before I left. I have plenty of other funds! Honey, I'll tell you why I'm spending so much on her. She eloped."
Now he held the phone away, as she screamed out her excitement. Running a hand over his face, he waited for her to calm down. Now she clearly asked, "Why did she do that?!"
"Because this guy saved her, they love each other, and he's very, very rich," he said. That made her mother go speechless. "He's a bit of a successful pearl diver. It's how he is able to take care of her. So, I am helping her out. He rescued her from her attacker. He's keeping her safe on an undiscovered island. She had no means of survival, and his hands were tied. So, I'm helping them out as a wedding gift. It's quite likely that he will be buying the island for her. It's a nice little place. Yes, I'm on it right now. And, no, we are not letting the whole family in on this. One of the other girls will give you the big wedding you want to be a part of. No, you're not coming out tomorrow. I can't get the tickets changed anymore. I did set everyone up with one free class of scuba lessons. Yes, you will get to go diving. I'll see you in three days, okay? I love you, too, honey. Bye."
"You told her he's rich?" Nikki asked with a giggle. Kilnak looked at him curiously.
"He gave us treasure. I'm sure he can find more. He's rich," Joel said. "He can find more, right? Oh. We don't know how many coins he gave us, huh?"
"Can you find out?" she asked, as she pressed herself into her husband. She was still naked and in his arms. Joel wasn't sure if the pod was still watching them or not, but Kilnak knew they were gone.
"Well, since you're obviously quite busy," he sighed. The chest was partially hidden away in the sand from the waves moving over it, and it was dug back out. Taking the coins out carefully, he counted them all. "We have about fifty of them here. So, if each coin is worth about fifteen thousand a piece, we have a little over seven hundred and fifty thousand bucks after selling them. That's a lot of cash. But, if you want to buy this island, you'll need more. You know that, right?"
"I figured," she frowned. "But, if it's unclaimed, I'll need to at least show that it's established, right? I don't want anyone to just come on the island uninvited!"
"That depends. We'll be working with the Caribbean locals. They have different laws and restrictions. I'm still not sure if we are in their regulation zones or not. It's something I still have to look into. With how weak the signal is out here, I'm not sure if I have internet. I'm surprised I have a signal," he sighed and now tried to establish a connection to the satellite. She never needed a smart phone, but, if she was going to live out here, she may have to see about getting one.
"Nikki?" Kilnak asked, as he gazed at her. At her look of worry, he turned his gaze over to her father. At the tone of his voice, he clearly wanted to know what was going on. Kilnak slapped his hand on the water to get his attention and showed he wanted in on the current discussion.
"Need more," Joel said, as he pointed at the coins. Kilnak grumbled a bit. He didn't understand them. I need to learn their language! Putting his face in the water, he sent out a call for his companion. The dolphin would readily help him out, and it showed up eagerly. Nichole spoke of what the issue was, and it was translated. Now that Kilnak was informed, he thought.
"More yellow ore is needed? What we found is not enough?" he asked his companion.
"Land Dwellers always need more. You know that! More of everything! Your mate knows, too. But is different. She knows us. Wants to help us," it chittered.
"Do you know where more yellow ore is?" he frowned.
"Not sure. I get pod! They help!" it squeaked, and it swam off quickly.
"I may have to buy you a generator to get some electricity. And, to do that, I can't go by dolphin. I'll need to get a boat. Damn it!" he growled. "Boats are not cheap! I don't want you to use all the coins, either. Okay, who's calling me?"
He answered his phone again, and Kilnak squeezed his wife. She gave a soft sigh in his arms, and he whispered, "Don't worry, my mate. I will do what I can for you. There is more yellow ore. I know there is. We will find more. I think there is grey ore, too, but that is a bit harder to spot. We will make this place safe. Don't worry. I'll make everything better. Love Nikki."
"Love Kilnak," she whispered back. She had a feeling that he was talking about the current issue with the gold. Glancing over at her father, she giggled. Annie had called him to try and pry out some information. Joel was not happy, nor was he amused.
"Annie, you will find out when you get here. No, I'm not taking a picture of him! And, if you try to, I'll cancel your phone! That goes with everyone else! He doesn't want to be publicized! He doesn't need to be on Facebook! No, he doesn't do Twitter. Well, honey, some people just don't need that. I'm not at the hotel. I'm on an island. No, honey, a real island. There is no plumbing or electricity here. It's just sand, water, and plants. That's it. Well, Nichole doesn't need that stuff like you do. Which is why you still live at home. With your parents. Annie, don't you even start! You couldn't survive on an island if you tried! Okay, if one of your nails broke, what would you do? There are no health spas here. You can't get it fixed. Well, if you're going to be like that, then you don't need to see Nichole or her new husband. Yes, honey, she married him. Maybe because she didn't want to hear you argue with her on a dress? Ugh, Annie, just let it go! Now I see exactly why Nichole left. Nothing, honey! Help your mother around the house, and we'll see, okay? Bye," he said and cut the connection before she could start up another subject. "Nikki, I am SO GLAD that you are not like them!"
"I know it," she nodded and reached for her bikini. Kilnak turned her to shield her from her father. She was able to dress, and she sighed. "It would be nice to shave my legs, though. Even have a hot bath. But, I'll live. Do they really want to meet Kilnak?"
"Well, I'm not giving them any information on what he looks like. No way in Hell am I doing that! And, just so you know, you have my word on this. If they start teasing you, I will backhand them! But, I can only say one thing," he chuckled.
"What?" she smiled, as she got held again.
"Why does everything have to throw you for a loop before you get something out of it? I told you that you were blessed," he mused. She sighed and made at face at him. He laughed at her and shrugged. When her phone rang, it was the offender's tone. Kilnak growled and squeezed her.
"He's still calling?!" she blinked.
"I got it," Joel smiled and answered it. "Hello? Oh. He hung up. I guess he was trying his luck. Yeah, we'll get your number changed."
"Ugh..." she frowned and shook her head. Kilnak kissed her softly and dunked under the water to refresh his head. Then he paused. He heard something coming, and it sounded like a ship. He sent out the call, but the scout was already on the case. He appeared in the lagoon to tell them what he saw.
"A Land Dweller device is coming here. It doesn't have the glow lights on that we see in deeper waters. Could be just a Land Dweller being curious. I still don't like it," he frowned.
"The entrance to here is hidden?" Kilnak asked.
"Only way to see the entrance is under the surface! Yes, it's possible to see it through the hard surface areas, but it's very easy to miss, too. I had to follow the Fin Folk to find my way in. I have also alerted the pod. The Fin Folk are going to help with distraction. And you said we need more yellow ore? Your Fin Folk companion was urging us to find some."
"Yes. Apparently, more will be needed. I thought what we had was enough, but my companion was right. Land Dwellers always need more. So, while we hunt, we also search."
Grynkar nodded to him and then to Nichole before swimming off. She didn't know what was said, but Kilnak gave out his musical purr to show that it was fine.
"I hear a boat," Joel frowned.
"You do?" she blinked. "I wonder if that's what they talked about just now!"
"It's possible. Let's keep quiet. If my hunch is right, they'll find a way to throw them off," he said. She nodded and snuggled into her husband. Then a thought hit her.
"Dad, how often do tropical storms happen out here?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. Oh. Shit. Your stuff. Ah...fuck..." he winced. "All right. There's enough plant growth around that we could secure everything in the trees. Even in the rocks. Have you tried to explore around here? On the outside of the island as well as in? Wait. Never mind. You were busy."
"Yes," she said with a soft blush.
"Did they show you where this island was?" he asked.
"Oh, yeah! There's a map that I brought. If you open it up, I'll show you," she said. She gestured to Kilnak that she needed to help her father, and he brought her over to him. He still didn't let her go. She was able to point out where they were. Now he matched the location to the map he pulled up on his phone. He was clearly amused now.
"We are in uncharted waters. This island belongs to nobody. It could make it easier to claim," he mused. "It's about twenty miles out of their zoning area. So...wow. Those dolphins swim fast. It took about an hour to get here by them. We're a hundred miles away from the mainland!"
"Are you serious?" she blinked.
"Yep. If you have a problem, it would be a real bitch to reach you. I'll have to really explore this place to find out what kind of island it is. Why is that boat sounding closer?" he frowned, as he turned his head to the sound. Kilnak gave a small growl. Joel moved quickly to gather up the coins to put them back in the old treasure box. "Hide these."
"Oh," Nichole blinked. Kilnak looked at her, but watched her try to bury it. She was trying to keep it safe. He had another idea. He set her on the beach, took the heavy box, and dove to the deepest part of the lagoon. Setting it here, he knew it would be safe. He piled some loose mud and stones over it to make it look like the bottom was untouched. Coming back up to the surface, he nodded with a small smile. If he had to, he would hold the pearls for her, too. They were in a sharkskin bag for her now.
"Land Dwellers come here!" his dolphin companion chittered with a form of worry. "Bad Land Dweller, too! Attack your mate!"
"What?!" Kilnak hissed with fury. Joel looked at him now. The merman gestured to Nichole's phone with hatred. Then he gestured to the boat's location with the same hatred.
"Are you telling me that that asshole is out there?!" he seethed. At the body language he got, Kilnak knew he got his point across, and he nodded. "Hide her. Keep her safe."
"Protect mate!" his companion squeaked. At that, he gestured for her to come close to him so he could cradle her. He was ready to kill, if he had to.
"If he manages to come onto this island, I'll mess him up!" Joel scowled.
"How did he even find this place?" she whispered.
"Probably out exploring. Are there others with him?"
"There are others," it chittered. Kilnak nodded to Joel with a frown.
"In a way, we're outnumbered. And we aren't on Caribbean turf. If they try something, it could be bad," he sighed. "Let's just hope they don't find a way into the lagoon, itself."
"I help!" the dolphin squealed and swam off quickly. Nichole's dolphin companion now appeared to settle in front of her and Kilnak. The merman realized exactly how protective the dolphin pod was for her. They sent her a personal guard, and it was the largest of their pod.
"We can't tell what kind of boat it is, can we?" he frowned. "Unless I swim out there to look and expose myself! Maybe I can climb up a tree..."
"Dad..." she sighed. Kilnak thought and kissed her passionately before placing her gently on the beach. He wanted to help them somehow. Now she thought frantically. "Dad! You gave me an underwater camera! Is it in the bags with my stuff?"
"I did!" he blinked and now looked through everything. He found the small, yellow camera and checked it. "No pictures taken yet. Perfect! If they are doing something illegal out here, we can catch them in the act and turn them in!"
"Just make sure not to get any pictures of Kilnak or his family," she said.
"Got it," he nodded. "Can you take me out there, Kilnak?"
Her husband saw the strange device, but, at the gesture to be taken out there, he nodded. He turned around to reveal his back. On seeing this, she said, "Dad, hold onto him. Put your hands around his neck and shoulders. He can take you out there."
"Don't you dare tell your mother about this," he muttered. He would have preferred a dolphin, but, if they were trying to distract the ship, this was the only way to do it. When they dove under the water together, she was left alone on the small beach. Her dolphin companion squeaked at her. She smiled and reached out to pet the top of the offered beak. She was a bit hungry now, but, instead of going for the jerky and dried fruits, she went for the lump of tuna that was lightly hanging on a branch. She found herself wanting that. She wanted the saltiness that it gave her. She wondered why. She pulled a piece off and even tossed some pieces to the dolphin. No need for us to both go hungry.
Out in the open water, Kilnak was guided with points and gestures on what to do. The camera was used to take close up shots of the boat first. Then Joel took in a deep breath of air to dive down with Kilnak to try and see what the divers were doing. Illegal coral harvesting was the game here. Various corals fetched large prices on the open market. This island was, apparently, one of the main island chains that had a particular type of black coral. It was also a major habitat for the dolphins with how they were trying to defend it. He could use that to his advantage to make it safe. He was able to snap a few pictures of the damage done, and he even snapped a picture of one of the men returning to the boat with the coral. He even snapped some pictures of the dolphins defending and being attacked back. Now that he had his evidence, it was time to go back to the lagoon. Luckily, the entrance to the lagoon was a ways off.
Nichole looked over with relief when her father and Kilnak returned. He coughed a bit to regain his breath, as he swam to the small shore. Now she asked, "What was it?"
"Illegal coral harvesting. I got a ton of pictures of the ship, crew, and what they were doing. I'll stop by the Caribbean officials, but first I'll need to get ahold of a conservation group. This island is clearly a reserve for the dolphins. They were trying to protect what they had, but the divers had small cattle prods to ward them off. They've been here before. I don't think I got any pictures of Kilnak. I had him behind me the whole time. If they looked for someone, they would have seen me first," he said. "And what are you eating?"
"Oh, good," she nodded. Then she blushed. "It's a chunk of tuna that Kilnak caught. It's really good! Want to try a piece?"
"Sure. One small piece should be okay," he nodded. "Although, I'll feel better with it cooked or steamed through. I'll give it a shot to see what it's like."
"It's really good, Dad," she smiled. He popped the piece into his mouth and blinked. It was better than I thought it would be. Kilnak was already taking out another large portion of the fish to eat. He was also quite hungry. The sound of splashing was heard now with coughing. One of the men was way too close to the entrance. She frowned, but Joel made a gesture for her to keep quiet. Then he thought and quickly muted the phones. He didn't want to alarm whoever was close to them. Then the sound of a scuffle was heard with a lot more splashing. The dolphins were physically attacking him to drive him off. They were never so aggressive before. They were protecting the special couple.
"Your pod comes!" his companion squeaked at him. Kilnak dove under the water to approach them in the safety of the depths.
"These Land Dwellers are bad! One of them was the one that attacked my mate and scared her! We need to get them away from here!" Kilnak growled.
"What are they doing here?" his sire asked.
"Take things. Plants. Fish. Other things. They are bad," the Elder dolphin squealed. "They hurt us when too close. We protect home. We know need for food. All need food. These Land Dwellers no come for food. They come for other things. Not good. But when hurt us, all bad!"
"They hurt you?!" Kep asked with a shocked look of disgust. "Flesh eater attack. Let's do this! Hurry! I know I saw one not far away, and the Land Dweller is wounded. I can taste the blood."
"I'll lure it in," Kilnak said.
"No. I will," the scout growled. "Your mate needs you. Go to her!"
"Fine," he nodded and swam off. The moment he rose up to the surface in the lagoon, he saw her swimming to him. Gathering her up, he purred and cuddled her. His dolphin companion squealed and circled them happily. It was glad they were okay.
"You're not a bad guy, Kilnak. Good job," Joel mused. At the chittering of the dolphin, he nodded back, as he cradled Nichole. At the sudden sound of screaming, Nichole gasped. At the smirk on Kilnak's face, her father looked at him curiously. She wasshifted to hold onto him, and he rose up his hands into the form of a mouth. His webbed fingers made large, teeth-likegestures in front of his mouth to simulate what was going on.
"A shark?! You got a shark on that asshole! That's genius! Maybe that will drive them off!"
"I don't know," she frowned and snuggled into her husband. "Why does this always happen to me?! I just...it makes no sense! All I wanted was to come out here and have a good time! I didn't want a stalker! I didn't want to be chased off!"
"Love Nikki?" Kilnak asked softly.
"Love Kilnak," she nodded and hugged him tight.
"Well, there's your upside. You got hitched to a fish!" her father grinned.
"He's not a fish!" she scowled to get him laughing. She sighed irritably, and Kilnak kept hugging her. He did give an odd glance at her father. Then she blinked at the sight of a shark fin coming into the lagoon, but it was from his pod. They killed the shark and brought it in to cut it up for meat.
"What kind is that?" he asked. Kep looked over and swam to him when the book was shown. "A reef shark? Well, the island does have a form of a reef. It would make sense. And, I'm sure the guy was trying to hightail it pretty fast."
"Yes. Was hungry. Smelled food," Kep nodded.
"The guy was bleeding, huh? Nice," Joel grinned. He noticed that they were using sharp pieces of coral and sting ray stingers to cut up the shark. Shells were even used as sharp objects for removing skin and fish scales. Kilnak reached for the bone on his hip, and he pulled out the sting ray stinger that was stored in it. It was a holder for it to protect it while he swam. That had Nichole blink with surprise. I never knew it was a holder for a weapon! Her father looked at him with amusement and gestured for him to come over. He took out a pocket knife to show him. Kilnak studied how the blade seemed to swivel out and back into the holder. I could possibly make something like that! Then he thought, as he recalled something from the mermaid book that he saw.
"Nikki," he called to her.
"Kilnak?" she smiled. He pointed to the books. "Oh! You want one? Which one?"
"Nikki..." he sighed and pointed to himself. Then back at the books.
"Ah! Okay," she nodded. Joel mused at this. Kilnak had her flip through the pages until an image of Poseidon was shown. He stopped her and pointed at the trident. Now Joel was thinking hard. There was obviously something about the weapon that Kilnak liked. She frowned at him now. She didn't know what he wanted. He called to the rest of the pod when they finished cutting up the shark. They crowded around the book and started to talk with excitement.
"Nikki?" Kilnak asked, as she looked away. He thought it was a good idea to make a better weapon. Then he had an idea. He took out his black pearl and seemed to place it in the center of the trident picture under the prongs. She shook her head and put his pearl back in the pouch.
"Honey, what is it?" Joel asked. "He wants to show off the pearl, I think."
"But, it just doesn't seem right. It would make others think that he was a leader of them. I just...it doesn't sit well with me. Something doesn't feel right about it," she admitted. When Kilnak's companion chittered her worry to them, they all stopped at her reasoning. Kep seemed to frown at first, but then he nodded at her insight.
"Good use for hunt, yes. But stone, no. Dark stone is rare. Not find if lost. Yes?" he asked.
"Yes. I don't want him to lose the pearl. In a way, I cannot replace it. Another, maybe. But...not that one. Smaller ones. Okay?" she said with a soft smile. "His pearl is equal to mine. It's special to me. I love Kilnak. That black pearl is proof of my love for him."
"You're right. It would be a pain in the ass to replace. I can see about getting three small ones. Possibly even more. Ah, Kep, we have the ability to make pearls. We force the oysters to make them. Do you take those? Or only the natural wild ones?" Joel asked.
"Bad stones?" Kep frowned. "Um..."
"I don't think he would know. I don't have any cultured pearls on me, either. I know Mom has one in a necklace. Doesn't she?" Nichole asked.
"Gave her plenty of pearl necklaces," her father grinned and coughed at the elbow to his gut. "Hey! But, yeah, she has one. I can ask her to bring it with her before she leaves for the plane. She might forget, otherwise. I'll have to meet her at the airport with the waterproof bags. Or you could come with me. Then again...we don't want your mother to say anything bad about you, do we?"
"I don't think she'd survive the trip by dolphin. We'd need a boat," she frowned.
"Yeah, I know. I should just scrap the cruise, but it's so close! And I'll have that extra ticket from you, too. You won't be joining us, will you?" he frowned.
"I don't think I'll be able to," she sighed. "Kilnak can't really join me, unless he follows. I don't want him to be seen. I'll need to stay with him. Ah...wow..."
"Honey?" Joel frowned when she shook her head.
"I got dizzy. Um...I don't feel good," she frowned. Kilnak blinked at her curiously. Then his jaw dropped when she bolted for the sparse vegetation to get violently sick. Joel's doctor mode set in quickly, and he rushed to her side. He knew she was eating raw tuna. Could she have gotten a parasite? Waiting for her to finish, he moved to get a water bottle for her to rinse her mouth out with.
"Sweetie, lean on me," he urged.
"I..." she blinked and trembled. Her hands went to her gut, and she whimpered. "So much pressure...why...?"
"Pressure?" Joel asked. He put his hand on her belly, and he paused. Then he paled. "Kep!"
"Yes?" he asked, as he swam over.
"How long does it take for, eh, babies to happen?" Joel asked now.
"What?" Kep frowned.
"Um...ah, young? Offspring? Pregnancy?" Joel sighed. He pointed to her belly and made the motion of her belly getting bigger. The dolphin squealed at him, and Kilnak's eyes went round. It wasn't supposed to have happened so fast!
"Um...not sure," Kep admitted. "Take time. Not long. Five you days. Um...maybe week."
"Honey, when was your last period?" her father asked.
"A week before I came out here," she cringed.
"I think I see why it was so fast," he sighed. "He got you at the perfect time. But, it may be a fluke. We won't know until you miss your next one. When did he start, eh, showing his affection?"
"A day ago. Just yesterday, actually. It was a day after I got out here. The same day we met," she trembled. "Why? Why does this happen to me?! I don't ask for any of this! I just..."
"Honey..." her father grimaced and sighed, as she broke down into tears. In just over twenty-four hours she was showing odd signs. Kilnak was still in shock. I was able to produce offspring with her. She was likely carrying now. After another moment of letting the realization sink in, he took a deep breath to regain his focus. She was crying. She was scared and likely worried. He had to comfort her.
"Nikki?" he asked gently. She didn't respond. She was stressed and upset. Narrowing his large, blue-black eyes, he did the one thing that was almost suicidal for any water mammal. He launched himself onto the beach and crawled up on the sand. His pod gaped with horror. Kilnak beached himself to reach Nichole. He could survive, but only if it wasn't for too long. He had to keep his skin damp, but the sand wasn't helping. It was sticking to his skin, yet he ignored it.
He hauled himself up with powerful arm movements until he reached her. Pulling her into his lap now, he cradled her. She looked at him with shock. He was risking his life to comfort me. When her father saw what he looked like out of the water, he was taken aback by surprise. Then he realized the danger that Kilnak was putting himself through.
"Get him back to the water!" her father hissed.
"Kilnak!" she gasped. Her husband smiled softly and kept her in his lap. Using sharp movements, he was able to scoot himself down the small, yet steep, sandy slope. He was able to use the damp sand a bit like a slide for the rest of the way. Once into the safety of the lagoon, he submerged himself into the water first to get the sand off his body. Then he pulled her close to cradle her.
"I don't think you'll be hunting with us. Not until your offspring is born. We'll hunt for you," Kep said sternly. "And don't do such a stupid thing again!"
"My mate just got ill, she wasn't responding to me, and she may be carrying my offspring! I will NOT stand idly by and watch her suffer! I will do everything that I can to reach her to show that I am here for her!" Kilnak growled. "She was untouched when I mated her! She gave the cry that always happens at a first mating! The offspring is mine!"
"Very well," his sire nodded. "You worried us when you went on the surface for her. It is not safe for us to be with the Land Dwellers like that. You can hurt yourself."
"I know. But, she always came to me when I called for her. She didn't this time. I know she is in distress now. I had to show that I would always be there for her. Yes, I took a really big risk. A foolish one. But, she needed to know that I will always help her. I will never leave her," Kilnak sighed, as he nuzzled into her. "Love Nikki. Love Nikki..."
"Love Kilnak," she whispered, and they clung to each other.
"Oh. I can refund your ticket," Joel said, as he checked the cruise line. "The cause of refund...ah! Pregnancy is an option. Good. It's not good for pregnant women, anyways. I'm sure it could be, but we'll play it safe. You won't be coming back to Maryland, either, will you?"
"I don't know, Dad. I mean...how? How can I go back when I'm like this?" she frowned. "How would it be possible? I can't get my stuff. I don't have a house. I can't drive my car. I..."
"Nikki..." Kilnak whispered and kissed her gently.
"We can make this a privately owned island," Joel said, as he did some research on his phone. He was purposely changing the subject to help keep her calm. "It's not on a listing, but I can contact someone to do that. However, I'll need to go back to the mainland. I need to see who will buy the coins that we have discreetly. The jeweler I worked with seems to have connections. If I go back to him, he may have other connections, but they could also be dangerous connections. We will need to really play it safe. As long as I'm very discreet, I should be okay."
"You have to go back?" she frowned.
"Yeah, honey. I have to. They can only do so much for you. Of course, if I register this island as a private one, there will be other people coming here to inspect its value. You know that, right?"
"I figured that was inevitable," she sighed.
"I need to soak in a hot tub, anyways. All of this salt is drying my skin out. If I do manage to get a boat, I'll bring a portable bathtub with me for you. Actually, I could see about investing in a yacht," he mused. "This way you can use it when I don't need it."
"Seriously, Dad?" she laughed.
"I could pick up a book on how to work a ship. Might need a crew, though. We'll figure something out. Weather reports show no storms yet. It's not the right season, but it's the end of May. So, it's getting close. Normally around late June is when we need to worry. Oh! Your birthday is coming up, right? June twelfth? That's two weeks away..."
"Don't get me any gifts! This is plenty!" she said.
"I know it," he nodded. "Hmm. Maybe I won't contact a conservation. They'll insist on bordering off this island to keep it from becoming 'contaminated'. I'll contact an agency that can see about us privately owning this place. It may be better to just deal with them. Actually..."
"What?" she frowned, as she rested against her husband. He got a number to an agent right off the site and dialed it. As he busied himself with talking to someone, she got pulled into a loving kiss. Sighing softly, Kilnak let her rest against him. Grynkar was dispatched to scout the island in full on the outside. The rest of the pod left quietly to hunt for their newest group member.
"I'm going on a cruise with my family next week. My daughter is actually living on the island right now. I would prefer that you wait until I got back. I can give you the coordinates of the island then. Yes. I can't really tell how far around the island is. I have yet to explore it, but it's possibly in the two to three mile range. There is some small beaching with rocks and vegetation. Yes. Yes. That much is normal? Okay, what if there was wildlife and rare corals? No, I would not be harvesting any of it. In a way, it would all be preserved. That much more? Right. I'll get into that when I know I can. That's fine. Thank you for the information," Joel said, as he hung up. "Geez..."
"What, Dad?" she asked, as she looked at him.
"We're looking at about, oh...three million," he sighed. "Not even I have that. I can make a quarter of that in a year. And that's with the overtime. We are going to need a lot of coins."
"Do you need another one?" she asked.
"No. I don't want any more of them on me. Just a safety measure. And, before I develop those photos, I'm going to do a bit more research. I need to make sure that no one is in on the coral harvesting when it comes to the government side. If they scout the islands and find you, everything we are trying to do may crash down. Maybe it would be best to wait until this island is secured. Then we can see about closing down that bit of industry around here. Hell, for all I care, they can go to other islands. Just not this one," he muttered. He blinked at his phone, as it lit up. "That's right, I muted the sound."
"Nikki?" Kilnak asked, as he cradled her. She looked at him, and he smiled softly. Nuzzling into him, he dunked under the water with her briefly to refresh his skin. She shook her hair free of as much water as she could. He looked over at her father when he started to growl.
"So, you did find out who the culprit was? The one that attacked my daughter? I see. Thank you, Stephan. I appreciate the effort. No, she will not be returning to the hotel. She got married and is living with her husband. I, on the other hand, will take over her room. Yes. I should be there tonight. Thank you," he said, as he disconnected the signal. "Well, they got the guy to admit his fault. It was likely done before he got here on that boat. They were probably just smoothing out a few rough edges before calling me. He's banned from the hotel, from what I know. I need to head back. Ugh. I said I wouldn't take anymore coins, but I'll need two of them. Maybe I can trade them for a small boat."
"Kilnak," she whispered and made a gesture for the heavy chest. He nodded and released her for a moment to dive down and grab the chest. Hauling it back up, Joel took two coins out. Nodding to Kilnak, the chest was placed back down on the lagoon floor. After it was secured again, Kilnak came back up to cuddle his mate.
"How do I hide these?" he frowned.
"Wrap the coins in seaweed! It will dry around them. Use the small pouch I bought. I have some seashells in it to make it look like some random junk I picked up," she said.
"Not bad! Oh, I got this from your room," he said, and he gave her the large conch shell. It was the same one that she found on the beach. Kilnak studied it with a smile and had an idea. I could carve a design into it for her. Not right now, though. He took it from her to set aside on the damp sand. Then he sighed, as he ran a hand over her belly. She winced a little, but she smiled back at him. When her father was ready to leave, a dolphin was called for. Seaweed was wrapped around the coins and tucked into the waterproof pouch. He hugged his daughter and shook Kilnak's hand with a small nod. Kilnak never experienced a handshake before. When her father left the island, she sighed and clung to him.
"Nikki?" he frowned and hugged her when she trembled.
"Why did I meet you? Why did I let myself go so far with you?" she shivered. "What will happen to us, Kilnak? What will I have to expect now?"
"Nikki..." he frowned and sighed. He knew she was worried. Her tone of voice showed it.
"Kilnak?" the scout asked, as he swam into the lagoon.
"What?" he asked. "She's very worried. Her pod leader just left."
"I saw him leave. This surface is very strange. There is a way in on the other side. No surface in it, since it's all underneath, but you might want to take a look for yourself."
"Really? Hmm. It will have to wait. My mate needs me, too," he said.
"You may want to come with me. I think I found more yellow ore," Grynkar grinned now.
"What?" Kilnak blinked with surprise. "Nikki..."
"Hmm?" she looked at him. He made a gesture that he had to go. She frowned at him.
"Get me a yellow ore piece from the solid pouch at the bottom. She doesn't understand me," Kilnak said. Grynkar nodded and swam down to bring up a coin. "Nikki."
"Kilnak?" she asked. When he gestured to the coin and out to the water again, she blinked in thought. Now her eyes widened with understanding. More gold was found. "Okay."
"Nikki!" he smiled and kissed her hard. She let him place her on the beach, and he gave her the coin. Then he swam under the water to follow the scout. Sighing to herself, she decided to cook something. Then she remembered the chocolate mint piece and smiled. I'll offer it to him when he gets back. As she started to cook up some tuna and eat some dried fruit, he was now exploring the underwater cave on the opposite side of the island. The entrance was overgrown with seaweed and hidden with coral overgrowth. They didn't want to expose this area, so it was carefully shifted aside to let them in. It was pitch black in here, but that didn't bother them. Natural night vision was available.
"There it is!" Grynkar said, as he pointed to an old, wooden chest.
"Amazing! Help me with it?" Kilnak asked. It was hard to get ahold of. The handles had rotted away, and the glint of gold was quite visible in the dull light. They would have to bring it up a bit at a time. "This will be difficult. We'll need the pod to help. Let's just bring up a few things to show that we found something. That will be enough, and we can keep the rest hidden here. We could even hide the rest of the yellow ore we find in here. Did the Fin Folk know of this place?"
"I wouldn't know. We could ask. They did say that this place was one of their many homes. Some did guard such places, long ago. Maybe they wanted you here to help?" Grynkar thought.
"I need to get back to Nikki," Kilnak said. He picked up a gold plate and a cup. Grynkar pulled out a gold necklace set with a diamond to take to her. On surfacing in the lagoon, he paused at the odd smell. It was like fish, but it was heavier. It actually smelled pretty good!
"Kilnak!" she smiled. She had sliced off a piece of tuna and was frying it up in a pan with some cooking spray. It had just finished when he reached her, and the large slice of tuna was cooling on a plate. Bringing it over to him, he sniffed it curiously. He found himself getting rather hungry, but he pushed that aside. Now he showed her what they brought back. Her jaw dropped. She set her plate down and ran for her phone. It was still muted, and she saw that her sisters tried to call her. She canceled the missed messages, raised the volume, and was about to call her father. Then she paused. He may not be on the mainland. Time to be cryptic. She called the number and left a voicemail that she missed him and would like to talk to him soon.
"Love Nikki," he said, as he gestured for her. She nodded and set the phone aside. She did stop to take out the small chocolate mint to bring over to him. He glanced at the odd shiny green and silver wrapping. He had seen such things before, but he never knew what they used were for. He was clearly curious about it. When she went for the fish first, he felt his stomach growl. She was hungry and needed something solid. He wanted to eat some of it, too. Without looking at Grynkar, he said, "I am spending time with my mate. There is nothing else I can see you doing for us right now."
"Right," the scout sighed. He took that as a mild order to leave. He needed to check on the pod, anyways. "What do you want to do about the yellow ore?"
"Leave it with the rest at the bottom here. I'll handle it later," Kilnak nodded. A nod was given back, and the scout left. "Nikki?"
"Hmm?" she smiled. He gestured to the cooked fish, and she showed him how she ate it with the plastic fork. He wanted to try some, and she got a decent sized piece for him. It seemed a bit harder to chew to him. It was much firmer when it was cooked, though, and he knew he would always prefer the softer parts of raw fish. His jaw was strong enough for various things, but this was a new sensation to chew the fish down. It did have a bit more flavor, much to his surprise. He saw how large the piece was that she cooked, and he moved to carve off another piece from the tuna chunk. Bringing it to her, she giggled. He wanted me to cook it for him. She nodded and took the small steak from him.
As he watched her spray some of the cooking oil on the small pan to start cooking it, he wondered. How would she eat small fish? He would have to bring her one to see. After a few minutes, the tuna steak was put on another plate and brought to him. She did have a fork nearby in case he needed it. When he tried to pick it up with his hands, he dropped it quickly. It was hot! Then he blinked and realized why she had the fork. He watched her carefully take off a piece, raise it to her lips, and blow on the meat to cool it. Then she offered it to him. Accepting it, he mused over the texture and stronger tastes he was getting. Of course, he would always prefer it raw, but it was nice to know that he could share a meal with her, if he wanted to.
When the fish was devoured, and the plates were taken away with the forks, he gestured to the mint dessert. She giggled and showed how it was unwrapped. It had melted slightly from the heat, but it had retained its shape. Dabbing her finger on it, she licked it off first. Then she dabbed it again for him to taste. He licked her finger and mused over the taste. It was a sweet, refreshing flavor to him. The mint was clearly something new. The chocolate did make him pause, as he tried to compare the flavor and texture, but he never had this before. There was no comparison. It wasn't dry, either. It even seemed to melt on my tongue. He actually liked it, but there was a slightly bittersweet aftertaste. It wasn't unpleasant, though. It was much better than what she gave me before!
"Nikki," he smiled and nodded. He showed that he liked it. A slightly larger piece was given to him now, as she shared it with him. When the rest of it was eaten, she put the wrapper in one of the plastic bags that would be used to store her garbage. I don't want to litter the place. If this is going to be my new home, then I want to keep it clean. Hmm. Dad was likely still heading to the mainland. Only twenty minutes went by, from what I can tell. Sighing, she looked over at her husband. He gestured for her.
"Kilnak," she smiled and moved into his arms. He nuzzled her and squeezed her close. A webbed hand was placed over her belly now, as he hugged her. Thinking a bit, she nuzzled him and moved from him to swim out in the lagoon. He paused at what she wanted. Then he smiled. She wanted to swim with me. She needed to get her practice back, too. It was a long time ago that she went swimming, but it was all coming back to her. He was surprised at how skilled she really was. She was going to retrain herself for him. She knew she had to do something about her hair. I'll need to bind it back again. Maybe get a hair net, too. She wanted to avoid cutting it short, if she could help it. She really did like it long, and she wanted to keep it that way.
She found herself getting pulled to him under the water, and a kiss was given to her now. Then she realized something else. He was giving me air. He was trying an experiment, and it was working. I'll need to see about getting a portable air tank. Either that, or a long snorkel, but the air tank would probably be better. And, with an air tank, I'll need a compressor. All of the finances were starting to build up, but, if she planned to be with Kilnak, she needed to do this. She had to get the necessary things first before even thinking of doing anything else. If I can't survive with him, there will be problems.
He noticed something was off when she started to swim slower. He thought and began to swim around her to get her to mimic his movements. When she didn't understand, he stopped and took her hand. He started to pull her into a swimming dance. He wanted to teach her this for the full moon nights. Only when the moon was at its peak did mates and potential mates dance together. It was a way to regain trust and bonding. Of course, nursing mothers tended to be optional on this. The father of the nursing offspring would remain close by and on guard.
Nichole realized what he was doing when she found herself mimicking him. He was teaching me a type of dance! At least, she thought it was dance. He was moving in such a graceful way that she felt outclassed. When she started to falter, he moved in close to encourage her. When she was guided to stay under the water for as long as she could, it wasn't very long at all. It was expected, though. She wasn't designed to hold her breath for long periods of time. When he helped her get back to the surface of the lagoon, he hugged her with a loving smile.
"Nikki..." he said softly. He wanted to try something with her.
"Kilnak?" she asked with a smile. He started to swim with her again in a circular motion. She copied his movements the best she could. Then he moved back under the water and gestured for her to join him. A deep breath was taken, and she submerged herself. He moved in as close as he could to rub his hips along hers. Her bottoms were slightly shifted aside, and he was able to mate with her as his people did. Right after it was done, he shot up to the surface with her. She was taken by surprise at what he did, and she took in some water. As she coughed, he cringed, but he knew she would expect it and be better prepared. She clung to him, as she coughed the rest of the water out, and took several deep breaths.
"Nikki?!" he asked with complete concern. She showed that she was fine with a smile. When she thought about it, she realized that it was a very brief joining that was done. It was all that was needed for him. But, the bond he shared with her was special. He needed to impregnate her. He had to ensure that she was going to carry his offspring. Only those with unique and deep bonds with their mates held that kind of focus. He wanted to try a usual mating dance with her to see if it could be done. Now he knew that she could do it when it was needed. She simply wasn't prepared for it.
"I'll be fine," she sighed, as she rested against him. "I can only guess that it's how you normally have sex. Too bad you couldn't warn me! I'll know better next time."
"Nikki..." he frowned. Then he paused at the look in her eye. It actually sent a shiver of excitement through him. Now she had an idea.
"I think it's only fair for me to show you another way I can do this. Don't you?" she said with a soft croon. He blinked at her and actually swallowed. She gently pushed him back to the sloped beach and pressed his back to the sand. She gestured for him to move up just enough to have his hips above the water. His heart was pounding hard in his chest. His sharp gasp was heard next when the tip of her tongue lightly ran over his vertical slit. Only she could make it that sensitive. Any other time held no feeling at all. Then she gently pushed a finger in to touch him.
"Nikki!" he whimpered and thrusted up to expose himself. She gave a small smile, as she removed the swimsuit to toss it aside. Then she sat on him and put her hands on his to move them to her waist. She guided him on how to move her up and down. He shouted with her, as the pleasure consumed him. I never imagined that mating could be like this! When she reclined on him to rest, he had an idea. I could recline in the water and the same thing could be done. Couldn't it? He would have to try that later on. He lowered himself a bit more into the water and pulled her to him. He sighed and closed his eyes to rest with her. She really was all that he needed.
"Are you okay?" she asked, as she snuggled into him. A kiss was pressed to her mouth, and he hugged her closer. He closed his eyes, as he purred.
"Love Nikki..." he softly whispered.
"Love Kilnak," she responded, and his purring got deeper. His eyes snapped open, as he heard something approaching. It wasn't his pod, either, but the approach sounded the same. It was a different pod. He pushed his mate up to the beach and tossed her the swimsuit. Readying the black pearl in his sharkskin pouch, if he needed it, he dove into the water and sent out a call for his pod. The dolphin pod heard it first, and one was dispatched. The other dolphins filled the lagoon protectively. Half of them had gone to hunt with his pod, but her protector, his companion, and the Elder dolphin were there.
"So, there are others here?" the pod's scout came in. "I am Tilk. My pod is coming here for the solid moon in two light cycles. They are near, but some ways off."
"I am Kilnak. I am newly mated, and this is where I reside. The Fin Folk have made it so. I do not go against their wishes. My pod is hunting. If it was not for my mate, I would be with them."
"Your mate? Huh. All I see is a Land Dweller! What's a filthy creature like that doing here?"
"Like I said. My mate," Kilnak said with challenging glare. He clearly didn't like the insult. "Yes, my pod knows. So does her pod leader. She is already bearing my offspring."
"You would subject your pod to ruin?!" Tilk asked with disgust.
"Leave now!" the Elder dolphin squealed, as it swam in front of the scout. "We help find mate! Mate is important! We saw this! You know nothing!"
"Oh..." Tilk blinked with surprise. The Fin Folk were now upset. "My deepest apologies..."
"My mate is very special to me. She and I share an unbreakable bond. And she is my equal," Kilnak growled, as he took out the massive black pearl. "This is what she gave me. She understands my ways, and she has a moon stone the same size as this!"
"That..." the rival scout's eyes widened with solid disbelief. He was insulting a rather respectable merman. He cringed with worry.
"I'll accept your apology for now. What do you want?" Kilnak asked. The Elder dolphin was still agitated, but it calmed down at the webbed hand placed on its forehead. It nodded now and keened to its pod. They slowly dispersed, but remained in the lagoon. Kilnak's dolphin companion squealed at Nichole and nudged the chunk of hanging tuna. A good portion of the pod was hungry.
"Kilnak?" she asked with concern. He heard her call through the water, and he rose up gracefully on his tail. He swam over to her like this, and she blushed at him. He was showing off his strength this way. Something told her that was the case. Lowering himself back in the water, he saw why he was called. The Fin Folk needed to eat something.
"Nikki," he smiled and kissed her gently. He looked at the dolphins and nodded. He gestured to her to show her how to cut up the tuna for them. It would tide them over until the pod got back.
"She understands you?" Tilk asked, as he rose up to the surface to study her. Nichole looked over at him with an odd look. She realized that she didn't recognize him as a member of Kilnak's pod. His skin tone was a touch darker than the others. She looked at Kilnak now with a bit of worry.
"Nikki?" he frowned.
"He's not of your family, is he?" she asked. At his dolphin companion's chittering translation, he was surprised. She could tell this merman was different and not of my pod. At the shake of his head to show that she was right, she grimaced. He ran a thumb under her chin with a soft purr before kissing her passionately. Then he gave a small glance at the scout before them. She gave a soft wince at the feeling of intense, painful pressure. He gently placed a hand over her belly to show that he was there.
"Love Nikki," he said softly.
"Love Kilnak. I really should teach you some basic words," she sighed. At the chittering translation, Kilnak only nodded. At least my companion could tell me what she was trying to teach me to say. It was better than he hoped for. He nuzzled her when the dolphins showed they still needed more tuna. She smiled at him and moved to help them. After the dolphins were given enough tuna to tide them over, Kilnak pulled her back into his arms and settled in the water with her. The rival scout was clearly surprised at everything he was witnessing. The Land Dweller female was working with one of our kind. She was behaving like a true mate, if not in the normal sense.
"You should go back to your pod. I'm sure they are looking for you," Kilnak muttered, as he tended to his mate. "You have seen enough."
"Will she swim at the next solid moon?" Tilk asked.
"She might, but not out in the open. She cannot swim as well as us. She is also carrying my offspring. I will be protecting her here," he replied. The other merman nodded and swam out of the lagoon. At the feel of her trembling, he sighed and cradled her closer. He knew she was getting frustrated. He could simply tell. Then he had an idea. Smiling, he reached for the conch shell that she found. He had set it aside, and now he snatched it up. She looked at him curiously, and he found a sharp rock to work with. Keeping her in his embrace, he started to carefully chisel away at the outer shell.
She found herself completely fascinated with what he was doing. He was making an intricate design on the shell. Within a minute, he had made various curvy lines in the shape of waves. He only paused when she would dip her hand in the water to rub over his head, neck, and back. She was trying to keep him somewhat damp while he did this. After the third time she did this, he gazed at her. The look she gave back was one of such intense love and emotion, that a kiss was shared with her next. He almost dropped the shell, and he smiled with her. Frowning at the wince she gave, he set the shell and sharp rock aside. He could carve more for her later.
"Kilnak...I..." she cringed. He could tell she wanted to talk to him. He did observe the Land Dwellers before, and he knew they always liked to talk to each other. It was the same with his pod. She needed to talk to me, and I need to be able to talk to her. When she wasn't in pain, it was easy for her to try to teach him. She didn't have much patience now, and that was most of the problem. I don't want her to have any doubts about me.
"Nikki..." he said carefully. At his look, she realized that he wanted to talk to her, too.
"Okay," she nodded. His dolphin friend and companion nudged him. It was ready to help. Now that she was absorbed in teaching him new things to say, time went by rather quickly.