by Maren Smith
Daddy’s Little Mermaid
Allysa Hart
Allysa Hart
Allysa Hart is originally from sunny So Cal, but living these days in rural environs on the east coast with her hubby, two daughters, and two crazy dogs she probably should’ve named Gomer and Goober. She’s into Legos and all things Disney (no surprise, right?). She loves the color orange, good sushi when she can find it, and anything sweet and not good for her.
When not writing, doing graphic designs, or corralling her on-the-go family, the poor woman mostly tries to sleep, but she certainly wouldn’t have life any other way!
Copyright © 2020 by Allysa Hart and Red Hot Romance, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, locales, and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, and events are purely coincidental.
Edited by: Silver Ink Editing
Chapter One
I swam as fast as my fins could carry me, all the way to Crystal Cavern. It was a trek from where I lived, but it was worth it. Way worth it.
It was my eighteenth birthday, and I was on my way to get King Zephyr’s blessing to visit the mainland. I’d been waiting my entire life for this moment and I was still having a hard time believing it was time.
My mother and father hadn’t wanted me to go. They were worried I would mess up and not be allowed to return to the sea, but I promised them I would follow all of King Zephyr’s rules so that even if I did choose to remain on the mainland, I would not lose my ability to visit my family. It appeased them only slightly. I wasn’t very good at following rules, but I really was going to try.
“Ah, Coral, my dear. I’ve been anticipating your visit. Not wasting any time, are we?” King Zephyr greeted me as I entered his cave.
“No, sire. Today is my birthday and I’ve waited long enough.”
“Indeed. Before I assign your guardian and enchant your pendant, please recite to me the rules of your year abroad.” He held up a beautiful but tiny spiral shell that would serve as my pendant. As long as I had it around my neck, I would be able to walk around as a human, but if it was removed for any moment, I would turn back into a mermaid.
I had been reciting the rules for years and knew them better than any schooling I had ever retained. “Be mindful and listen to my guardian. Always keep my pendant in my possession and above all else, never, by either word or deed, betray our world to the humans.”
“Very well done. You’ve been practicing. And what is to happen should you break the rules.”
“A failure to uphold the rules would result in a banishment to the human world, separating me from my friends and family for all eternity. And wiping my memory of mermaid life as a whole.”
“And you are prepared to accept this responsibility and uphold the standards and guidelines you have been given?”
“Yes, sire.”
The king sighed and smiled. He gripped the pendant in his hand and held it above my head. “Then Coral, daughter of the Shelldon clan of Crystal Cove, I grant my blessing that you may visit the mainland for a span of one year. At the end of that year, you will have the option of remaining above water or returning to the sea. Should you choose to stay while having upheld the rules of our people, you will be granted the power to come and go from land to sea as you please.”
I recited the king’s spell in my head as he said it, willing him to speak faster. All I wanted was to get my legs and experience the feeling of sand beneath my feet.
I bowed my head and allowed him to place the enchanted shell pendant around my neck. It sparkled and shined, and I could feel the change slowly begin in my body.
“Your guardian will locate you once the change is final and you have reached the surface. You must remain on the beach until you two are joined. Should your guardian fail to find you, you are to remove your pendant and return to the water until such time as a new guardian can be assigned. Do you understand all I have told you, my child?”
I nodded emphatically. “Yes, sire.”
“Good girl, you are dismissed. Stay safe, mind your rules, and listen to your guardian, but most of all enjoy yourself.” He winked, and I darted out of the cave to make my way to the surface. My tail tingled and pressure began to build in my chest just as I emerged from the water and took my first breath of fresh air.
Twirling in the waves, I located the beach, but when I flipped my fin, a strange sensation occurred and my fin separated in two. Legs! I had legs. I giggled with glee and kicked my newly developed legs. The water glided between my toes and tickled the insides of my. One thing was for certain though, human bodies were not made for swimming. By the time I reached the beach, I was exhausted. Testing the movements of my new body parts, I pulled myself out of the water and up onto a rock.
Unaccustomed to standing and finding the shift in my new body’s balance strange, my legs trembled, but I sunk my toes into the warm sand and took a few tentative steps while keeping hold of the stone beside me. I felt heavier outside the water, and every time I brushed the rock, rough, gritty sand stuck to me in uncomfortable places.
All of these new sensations were overwhelming as I tried to get my bearings. Letting go of the rock, I took several practice steps, balancing myself with my arms outstretched. Walking was more difficult than humans made it seem.
Glancing down the length of me, I took stock of my new self. There was a small tuft of hair between my legs and I reached down to touch it, running my fingers through the short, coarse curls. It felt nothing like the hair that grew from my head down to the top of my back fin. I craned to see behind me, but no. The fin was gone. Instead, I now had two round globes that crowned the tops of my new legs, separated by a deep crevice. Running my hands all around these new body parts, I became increasingly intrigued. What else was I going to learn about my human body?
“Coral, I presume?” asked a voice from out of nowhere.
I twirled in surprise, the quick movement knocking me off my already shaky legs. I fell down onto the sand where I came face to face with a large hairy beast. Screaming, I tried to scramble away, but the dry sand made it hard to move and I was still getting the hang of my legs. I backed away as far as I could, pressing my back against the rock that had previously held me up.
“No need to shout, wee lass. I am your guardian.” His accent and unusual form made that hard to believe.
“Y-y-you are my guardian? I thought guardians were human? You’re a beast. How can you help me?”
“I am not a beast. I’m a dog, and my name is Oliver. You’d be surprised how helpful an animal companion can prove to be. Here, take this and wrap it around your body. My master will be coming around at any moment.”
Oliver held up something between his teeth. It was full of vibrant colors and as I took it from him I noted its soft texture. “What is it?”
“It’s called a beach towel and it will cover your private parts until we can get you some clothing.”
“Clothing? What is—”
“Oliver!” called a deep male voice in the distance.
“We’ll have plenty of time to discuss later, lass. Right now all you need to do is tell Master Wade that you do not know who you are or how you have come to be here. The rest will get sorted in time.” The dog spoke fast before letting out a string of loud abrupt noises that made me jump and cover my ears.
“Oliver! What in god’s name?” The voice got closer and my stomach tightened, a feeling I had never experienced before. I quickly put on the towel, wrapping it tight around me.
Around the corner came a human male. His hair was as white as the purest sand and his eyes glittered as blue as the sea on a warm sunny day. He wasn’t weari
ng a towel, but from the waist down he did wear some covering. Everywhere else, his skin glistened in the sunlight. I liked the way it looked.
His sea-blue eyes widened when he saw me. “Holy hell.”
“My name is Coral.”
Oliver growled and I cringed. I’d already forgotten his instructions about not remembering anything.
“Coral.” My name rolled off Wade’s tongue. He stared into my eyes as if he could not look away.
Oliver bellowed loudly once more and I jumped, covering my ears.
The trance-like stare breaking, Wade shook his head. “Knock it off, boy. You’re scaring her. I’m sorry, it's just something about you seems so familiar. Have we met?”
I shook my head. “I-I don’t remember.”
“You said your name is Coral?”
“Yes, I think so?”
“You think so? You don’t know?”
“Well, I don’t remember.”
His eyebrows quirked and he placed his hands on his waist. Something about the look made me want to hide my face, so I did.
“A minute ago you seemed pretty sure of your name, now you don’t remember?”
I shook my head, accidentally letting go of one side of the beach towel. It slipped open, revealing all my bare parts from torso to thighs.
“Whoa!” Wade quickly averted his eyes as I scrambled to cover back up. Heat filled my cheeks at the idea that I repulsed him in some way. “Are, um…” He cleared his throat. “Are you naked?”
“Naked?” That was a new word for me. What did it mean? How was I to answer when I didn’t know? I cringed and took a guess. “I don’t remember?” I was going to continue on that track until I could talk to Oliver alone again. I had so many questions.
“You don’t remember if you’re naked? Do you have anything beneath that towel?”
I spread my arms open to show him rather than answer.
He turned his head away again, his eyebrows furrowed as if he were in some kind of pain. “Well okay, then. Um... cover yourself back up, please.”
I hugged the towel around myself, wishing it was bigger. Something about my skin must repulse this man. I wanted to hide as much as I could.
“So you don’t remember your name or how you came to be naked on the beach?” Hands on his hips again, his tone said he didn’t believe my claims. “What else don’t you remember?”
I looked to Oliver for help, but all he did was make a low whining noise. Maybe humans and dogs did not communicate? Another thing I needed to ask about.
“I don’t remember anything. I woke here and Ol-”
Oliver growled again and I stopped, puzzled. What was I doing wrong?
“Calm down, Oliver, everything’s fine.” Wade leaned down and stroked Oliver’s head before turning his attention back to me. “And all what?”
“All… umm… no… Oliver was here and then you came too.”
Wade stared at me a moment, before sucking in a big breath of air. “I’m not going to lie, something seems off about your story, but I’m not about to leave a naked woman out here on the beach alone.”
“I’m not Naked, I’m Coral. I think.”
Wade chuckled. “Do you not remember common terms either?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I’ve not heard that word before.”
“Naked, like without clothes.”
“What are clothes?”
“Oh come on now, you can’t be serious.”
His exasperation hurt my heart. I didn’t want to have to ask everything, but he was talking about things I had no knowledge of and I just wanted to understand.
“I'm sorry.” Pressure built behind my eyes and my stomach got tight like before, only this time it was a lot stronger and a lot more unpleasant. My vision became blurry for a second and then water dripped from my eyes down my cheeks.
“Hey, don’t cry.” His voice lightened. I didn’t know what ‘cry’ was, but I didn't dare ask any more questions. I didn’t say anything, or even move.
Wade raised his hand to my face and gently swiped at my cheek. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been very nice, have I?”
I stayed still and silent, not wanting to cause more trouble.
Wade sighed, “Your story seems a little far-fetched, but I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, all right? Let’s get you something more than a towel to wear, then we’ll go see the Doc. Maybe he’ll have some answers about why you can’t remember.”
I nodded, hoping beyond hope I would get a moment alone with my guardian before anything else could go wrong.
I followed Wade on my tired, shaky legs, leaning heavily against Oliver. If it wasn’t for him, I would have certainly fallen. The sun was hot, and it burned against my face and shoulders. The dry sand made it hard to walk, and the wet sand scraped against my skin with every step. Before long, everything that had been uncomfortable began to hurt and now I was tired too.
Keeping my eyes on Wade, I wasn’t paying attention and my toes hit something hard sending me careening forward. I let go of the towel and tried to catch myself, but it was too late. Pain radiating through my hands and lower body as I hit the ground, I cried out. “Ah!”
Wade came to my rescue and pulled me up into his arms. “What happened? Are you okay?”
He grabbed the towel, wrapping me as best he could before he picked me up altogether. He was very concerned about keeping me covered. It hurt that he seemed so repulsed by my new body. Between that, my exhaustion, and the burning pain from falling, I began to cry.
“What hurts, honey?” he asked gently, carrying me. I laid my head on his chest, closed my eyes, and held up my hands to show him my wounds. His body rocked as he walked. It was like being back in the water, drifting along in the current, only better.
“Is that all?” he asked.
“My legs.” I whimpered. They hurt much worse than my hands did.
“Okay, let’s get you inside and I will take a look, okay?”
“Okay.” I didn’t know what to do or say. I didn’t know this man, but I trusted him. Oliver said he was safe and I believed him. What choice did I have, really? They were all I had at the moment.
I opened my eyes to look around. There were giant, colorful structures lining the beach.
“This is my shop,” Wade informed me. “I’m going to take you inside and clean you up. I should also have something for you to wear.”
I didn’t understand all of what he was saying, and I was too tired to ask questions. I would try to remember everything and ask Oliver later.
The shop was dark, but as soon as Wade stepped inside, it brightened significantly. Not like the sun, but close. I hid my face against Wade.
“It’s okay, I promise I won’t do you any harm. I just want to help,” Wade assured me as he placed me on a high surface and secured the towel around me. I used my hands to hold it up, not wanting to upset him by allowing my body to show. He reached underneath the surface and pulled out a box.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“It’s a first aid kit. I need to clean the dirt out of your cuts and bandage them.”
More explanations with words that were unfamiliar to me. It was so much. My body ached and my brain pounded with fatigue.
“Let me see your palms.”
Shaking my head, I hugged the towel and asked again. “What is that?”
“It’s an alcohol wipe. I need to clean and cover the cuts on your palms and knees,” he repeated.
“What are knees?”
“Knees? You know, the part of your leg that’s dripping blood?” He moved the towel from my leg so that I could see my wounds. Red blood dripped from angry-looking scratches.
My stomach rolled and I felt dizzy, like I’d just been thrown into an unexpected undercurrent, then everything went black as I collapsed.
Chapter Two
I don’t know how long I was asleep, but I woke up to Oliver staring right at me. I sat up quickly. Too quickly. My head spun again and I laid back
down.
“Be calm, lass.” Oliver whispered. “We are in Wade’s apartment.”
“What’s an apartment?”
“It’s a place we live. It’s in the same building right above the shop.”
“I’m hearing you, but there are so many new words I don’t understand.” I was getting more and more frustrated as time went on.
“Did you not pass your Human Studies exams?” Oliver questioned. “All of this would have been covered.”
“I passed.” I answered sheepishly. I’d cheated, but I passed. The class had been so boring and impossible to pay attention to.
Oliver sighed. “Buildings are structures built by humans to house them from the outdoors. Man-made caves, if you will. The shop is where Wade works. He sells wares and makes money in order to buy the things he needs to live. Humans don’t trade and barter like mermaids, and they are not overly kind to one another. If you need something, chances are you must find a way to get it yourself. Nothing is free.”
“That sounds horrible.” The Mer world didn’t operate that way. We all worked together, took care of one another. It was beautiful and peaceful and full of love. So far I was highly unimpressed with the human world.
“It’s not horrible, just different. You’ll get used to it, lass. Wade will be back any moment, let’s get you sitting up. Move slowly.”
Obeying, I pushed myself up. My body felt so heavy and it was difficult to move and stay in place.
“Hold on to me until you can catch your wits.” Oliver jumped up next to me and laid halfway onto my legs. It helped me keep balance.
“How come you can’t talk to Wade?” I asked.
“Humans and animals don’t communicate. I am considered his pet and therefore beneath him, but he provides me with food and shelter.”
