Bliss

by Renee Field

With her heart heavy, she sighed when the boat’s pumps started to work and the engine came to life.

  The fisherman gave the ocean, which had finally calmed, one last long look. Then he headed for the shore. Mercka wiped the tears from her eyes, knowing she’d let the man of her heart slip away. She prayed her sacrifice was not in vain.

  Discover how it all began. Read Rapture by Renee Field and meet Seth and Jamie.

  Mermen aren't real. That's what biologist Jamie Winters thinks until a gorgeous Greek god enters her life and drowns her, forcing her to rapture into a Siren. Used to logic, she can't quite come to terms with Seth Cutter's magical undersea realm or the fact that he's a macho Titan.

  Being a Siren causes Jamie's hormones to go into overdrive, which isn't good when she realizes that's exactly what Seth was hoping for. Sure, the sex is out of this world, but she's not about to change her character.

  As Prince of the North Seas, Seth is used to having his commands followed. A decade of exile on land was easier than having to deal with the sexy-as-sin Siren who tips the scales of his existence and doesn't listen to one word he says.

  They must overcome their prejudices to recover stolen relics that are key to the undersea kingdom, stop a deadly plague and destroy an underwater diva who wants to rule the roost. Are they two souls destined for each other or will the Fates decide otherwise? Seth knows firsthand, Fate can be a bitch.

  Chapter One

  Sweat broke over Seth’s brow as he lumbered forward under the strain of the rope. Hauling the boat up the sharp slope from the shore to higher ground was a daunting task, but it had to be done. A storm was brewing. A big one.

  The knowledge of that hit him hard. What he’d like to do was haul the boat all the way up to the shed, but already the winds were picking up as the swells of the rough water lapped harder on shore. The gulls overhead squawked in fright while the seals that called his stretch of the beach home barked in answer. In truth, he felt as if the creatures were laughing at him, mocking his attempt to defy Mother Nature.

  Straining under the weight of the rope, he was conscious of the sweat streaking his brow. Grunting under the force of keeping the boat from tipping, he pushed his muscles to move while putting one foot in front of the other.

  “For gawdsakes man, where’s your rubbers,” shouted the familiar craggy voice of his nearest neighbor.

  The man lived on the other side of the bay, a good ten miles by vehicle, but a mere jaunt in a dory for the cantankerous geezer. Seth ground his teeth in frustration. The last thing he needed was old Jack poking his nose in his business again.

  The sloshing gait of the seventy-year-old fisherman drew on Seth’s sensitive hearing. Why Jack wore those things he lovingly referred to as rubbers constantly mystified him. Ten years living among humans and they still remain a mystery to me.

  “Cat got your tongue, now?” asked old Jack, as he hauled his battered old dory high up onto Seth’s beach.

  Not even turning his head in acknowledgement, Seth mumbled under his breath, “I’m busy.” He hoped just once his neighbor would get the hint and leave.

  “Thought as much. You know you should have something on your feet. It’s good for traction,” muttered the old man, squatting to the side of Seth as he stuffed tobacco into his pipe. “Not that your kind get hurt often.”

  Seth ignored him. A decade ago, when Jack dared to do the impossible and tried to befriend him, Seth had done everything within his powers to ensure a friendship wouldn’t develop. Now he had to fight against the strain of a smile tugging at his lips as he eyed the old man, daring him to light his well-used clay pipe.

  Instead, from the corner of his eye, he watched as the old geezer puckered his lips to draw on the unlit pipe. “Want some help?”

  Seth shook his head. The fact that Jack had the nerve to check up on him actually touched him, but now was not the time.

  Once a month like the high moon tide, the man hauled his arthritic body up to Seth’s house to saunter straight into his kitchen where he would promptly pour two glasses of whiskey into one of his coffee mugs like they were fast friends. While it was always a one-sided conversation, with Jack doing most of the talking, most of it reminiscing about those great glory fishing days, an hour later his uninvited guest would be gone.

  Not once had Seth touched the offered whiskey after his first taste of it a decade ago. Not that the old man minded. Said he didn’t like to drink alone and it was simply bad manners not to offer up a drink to a friend. Seth left it at that.

  Later when Jack would waddle bow-legged down to the shore and haul his old bones into his beloved dory, Seth would pour the drink down the sink and wash out the cup. If he still followed the old ways, he’d have offered the drink to one of the gods. Not anymore.

  The fact that old Jack was the only one Seth allowed on his property to somewhat befriend him gave the old man something to do. Not that Seth thought he could actually get rid of the old geezer, unless he resorted to his old tricks. No, Seth knew Jack’s days were lonely and for the past ten years that was something he came to understand all too well. That, more than anything, was why he had allowed the old man his customary monthly visit.

  Today, knowing Jack had rowed across the bay to make sure he was okay gave him pause. A gust of wind told Seth that wasn’t wise.

  Forcing his body to move three more steps, he watched as Jack got up to test the wind.

  “She’s gonna be a big one. You remember the last big one we had around here. Felt as if old Poseidon was stirring up the water with one of those fork thingys…”

  Seth choked on that image. Fork thingy isn’t what I’d call it. He tried hard not to give in to a chuckle.

  “We lost some fifteen boats that year. Wait a sec…wasn’t that about the same time you came here?” The not-so-innocent look wasn’t missed by Seth.

  As always, he said nothing. He remembered that night well. His fury had matched the seas, acting like a blanket, comforting him with the knowledge that it too was mad with the decision that had been forced upon him.

  Rolling his shoulders to get a knot out, he strained again under the weight of the rope, thinking he should have built a smaller vessel. Two more feet and she should be safe.

  Seth knew he was in for a long night. It wasn’t the coming hurricane that would keep him awake. It was the pull of the sea he’d have to fight with every ounce of his willpower. It was times like this he cursed himself.

  “You’d think after a decade with us, Seth, you’d learn to communicate a bit more,” said old Jack, standing on shaky legs. “Anyway, just came to see ya. Oh yeah, there’s some rich dude docked at the government wharf asking about you. You know he’s the spittin’ image of you, almost,” said Jack, spitting out a wad of the tobacco he’d stuffed in his mouth.

  Seth knew what the almost referred to. A scar like his wasn’t easy to hide, not that he cared or even tried.

  “Nice fancy boat he’s got. Thought you should know. I told him he’d better anchor down here for a bit, but the fool just laughed in my face. Said he’d find you himself and then he up-anchored that nice yacht of his and took off. Never even asked for directions, but then again, there was something a bit strange about him. Here I am rambling again,” said Jack, lumbering to his dory.

  “Wait a sec,” said Seth, turning his head to look at Jack, making sure not to let go of the rope. “Did he say where he was headed?”

  There was an audible pause as Jack weighed his words. There was also a mischievous gleam in his eyes that caused Seth’s senses to prickle.

  “So…you do know him. Thought as much. Now let me think. Yup, said he’d settle the boat at Dragon’s Pass. Now two hours ago, that pass might have been a good idea, but now, with the shift of the wind… I’m thinking that’s crazy. Hope your friend knows what he’s doing.”

  With that, Seth watched as old Jack hauled his dory back into the turbulent sea. “Want a ride?” he asked, knowing the answer.

  “In that crazy thing
you own? Never! Now don’t you fear…been rowing across this bay since long before you were born.”

  Seth doubted that one. Instead, he turned his head to watch as the old man gaily seated himself in his rocking dory, finally lit his clay pipe and started to row home.

  Making sure his visitor was well out of sight, Seth closed his eyes. He wasn’t happy with what he was about to do. Worse, he knew he had no choice and that it was going to hurt like hell.

  Taking a deep breath, he slowly let part of the power of the sea channel through him. He felt the moment when his pulse changed, his body, mind and soul pivoting on the awareness of the rapture he fought to keep at bay.

  Silently, he cursed all the gods. He hated to be forced to do this. With one last effort, he hauled the boat to safety. Task completed, he turned his attention to the sea. She beckoned him. Called to him like a lover.

  Goose bumps formed over his skin as he fought the full force of the rapture. Slowly, he calmed his mind, his soul and his heart against the stream of power flowing through his veins. He struggled to quench the ancient current of power that was trying to claim all of him.

  Taking off his shirt and jeans, he walked naked to the pounding surf. There was a brief moment when the cold water penetrated his skin, but that was it. Then he dove headfirst, letting the sea claim a part of him.

  If anyone had of been watching, they would have wondered where he surfaced. In truth he didn’t. With a powerful kick, he dove deep. He made one detour before heading to Dragon’s Pass. Using his strength, he slipped unseen under old Jack’s dory to ensure he made it home in one piece.

  Only then did he give in to the questions swirling around in his mind. Shaking his head, he pushed the foreboding feeling away as he darted to Dragon’s Pass where he knew without a doubt Fate was waiting for him.

  “Took you long enough,” shouted his brother over the roar of the turbulent winds.

  Seth didn’t say anything. Hauling his body on board, he reached for his twin’s outstretched hand.

  “Ever think of calling?” he replied, shaking off the water like a large wet dog.

  Pushing a plush violet towel into his hands, his brother snarled back at him. “Ever hear of a towel…and, by the way, nice to see you too.”

  Seth stood with his feet spaced wide apart, braced to the feel of the yacht’s chaotic movements in the rough water. He noticed his brother looked exactly the same as he did ten years ago.

  Emotions ran deep in him. Anger and the injustice of what had happened gnawed at him. He yearned to bridge the gap that now existed between them, but knew now was not the time. He forced himself not to think about the past, what they had shared growing up and the call of the sea that said Darius would always be his brother—no matter what.

  “When I called yesterday, I thought you would drive here. Why did you come out in the storm?” asked Seth, wrapping the towel around his midsection.

  “Let’s just say I was eager to see you. Besides, you know how I love a good storm,” replied Darius, tilting his head up defiantly to feel the full force of the wind. “Oh I found out something about that article you’ll want to see.”

  Seth watched as his brother moved below deck, only to return a minute later with two pieces of paper. He took them before the wind claimed them. One was a brief about a scientist who was all-too-familiar to Seth.

  The man had plagued him since he found himself on dry land. The fact that it was he who had discovered the ancient turtle shells with strange etchings on them that humans thought predated Christianity didn’t bode well. The other was an article about mutated diseases in sea mammals by a woman scientist. He didn’t recognize her, but a brief scan of the article gave him pause. Her research was impressive.

  Looking up at his brother, he asked the obvious, “And just how are these two things related?” What he really wanted was a clue to where the ancient shells were being held.

  “That scientist is none other than the notorious Dr. Nathan Caskett, who two months ago was appointed as the new director of Unknown and Unexplained Sea Creatures at the Institute of Oceanography. And that very sexy female is his latest research lab rat,” said Darius with a sly grin.

  Seth waited for the other “and” as to how they were connected. He took another look at the small picture on the right of the page. Even in black and white he had to admit his brother was right. The woman was breathtaking. Dark hair framed an angelic face and even though she was only partially smiling, her lips looked luscious and full. The kind of lips he used to like. She was the kind of woman he wished he could have. But that was equally impossible.

  “Thought she might interest you,” smirked Darius, giving the page a good flick.

  If Seth hadn’t been holding tight, it would have been lost to the wind gusting around them. “Shut up,” he replied, folding the two papers. It was only then he realized he didn’t have any clothing to stash them in.

  “Here, I’ll take them,” said Darius, taking the two papers from his hand to place them neatly in a file folder.

  “You know, you could have faxed those to me,” said Seth, claiming the captain’s chair.

  “Ahh that would have taken all the fun out of it. Plus, it would have been another excuse you would have used to not let me help. So let’s just pretend it’s like old times, Seth. Let’s let the wind and the waves rock our world,” said Darius, jumping to stand at the bow of the yacht. “And if you’re cold, help yourself to my stash down below.”

  Seth eyed his brother.

  He figured the reference to him being cold must have been his brother’s attempt at a joke, or worse inferring that being on land this long was making him soft. Still though, he smiled. It was good to see his twin after a decade.

  Once, the two of them had been inseparable. Like two pieces of seaweed bound together at the root. Now all that had changed. They had taken their separate paths a long time ago and stayed clear of each other. Seth was at least thankful that when he’d mustered the courage to call his brother, Darius hadn’t hung up in his ear.

  Deep down he knew what he had to tell his twin wasn’t something Darius would take lightly. Soon, their relationship would be changed for eternity.

  Listening to his twin speak in the ancient tongue, Seth’s grin grew. Still though, he realized there was nothing within his powers that could right the wrong that had happened. Both of them had been exiled from their home. Both of them had been forced to survive amongst humans. Both had gone their separate ways on purpose. Only Seth had been tasked with a job that now demanded a lot of him in a very short amount of time.

  “Just relax for once, Seth,” said his brother, casting a knowing look his way.

  He almost wished his twin could still read his thoughts. That had been one of the hardest things to adjust to when they had been forced to go their separate ways. Seth still had to decide if he could let Darius help, and worse, after ten years of silence, he had to tell his brother why he had called him out of the blue. And that had to be sooner rather than later.

  However there was something childish and charming as he watched his brother evoke the ancient gods in their own tongue, taunting them to get him. It used to be one of their favorite games when they were young. When they both had the freedom and privileges of the sea.

  Now things were definitely different, for none of the gods listened to them anymore. That Seth knew from firsthand experience.

  * * *

  Jamie twisted and tilted her head, trying to ease the crick out of her neck. She had been at it for twelve hours, not that she was counting. But even coffee was losing its potency to keep her awake. In fact, she had re-read the last sentence she’d been writing on her thesis three times—it still wasn’t any better.

  “Still at it?” asked Trevor Lancaster, as he sauntered in still wearing his suit and tie.

  Jamie guessed that was all he ever wore, even on the weekends. She also suspected the suck-up Ivy League graduate had a bed stashed somewhere in the warehouse because he
was always around. After all, he wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to impress their boss—Dr. Nathan Caskett, millionaire and self-appointed director of the new department he personally funded.

  Thanks to Caskett, she was getting the chance to finish up her graduate thesis while working in the field. The fact both she and Trevor were currently competing for the only permanent spot within the department made her hate both her boss and her coworker. Caskett liked mind games. This was one of them.

  They had both been hired because they were top in their class. At the end of the summer only one of them would get the coveted position, which offered a salary of over sixty thousand dollars a year—something no graduate made in the first year doing marine research.

  “You know you shouldn’t drink all that stuff. It will rot your stomach,” said Trevor, giving her dirty coffee mugs a look of disgust.

  Jamie had to bite her tongue to keep from telling him not only had she drunk most of the pot but it had been made yesterday and she was downing it cold. The last thing she wanted to do was engage Trevor in a tête-à-tête. He always found a way to knock her down, something she was well used to in her life.

  Ignoring him, she closed her laptop, neatly stacked her papers and stuffed everything into her large duffel bag. “Time to go.”

  “Oh you might as well sleep in tomorrow. Caskett’s out of town. He’s still out looking for the big one,” said Trevor, casually claiming the chair next to her, making sure she noticed him flex his arm muscles.

  To anyone else, Trevor would be considered a fine specimen of a man. At five feet nine with blond hair and light brown eyes, he could be equally charming. None of that worked on Jamie. Standing, she towered over him. That was the thing.

  At well over six feet, she had yet to meet a man who caused her to raise her eyes for a good look and while she admitted his body was okay, it didn’t even give her pause. The fact he was smart was the only reason she tolerated him.