by Sable Sylvan
With one more press against her inner walls, Aiden unlocked something inside of Carmen like a key in a lock, and that something was the storm of passion he’d brewed up. Carmen was filled with a feeling of absolute pleasure and relaxing bliss, and her body, for a minute, became a body that was not her own, as she clawed into Aiden, pulling him close so she could taste every part of him, pressing her lips and even her tongue against his cheeks, his lips, his pecs, and his neck, as if she was sucking his life force out of him. Of course, that was what was happening with the part of Carmen’s body that she could control. While she felt Aiden up more fiercely than she ever had before, and she kissed and tasted every part of his body that she could get her mouth on, her pussy had taken on a mind of its own. It was tightening and pulsating against the thick shaft that had been calling it home, as if the pussy and the dick inside were having a love affair of their own that had nothing to do with their owners.
The combination of the bomb ass pussy and Carmen’s primal passions overtook Aiden. He couldn’t help himself. He’d meant to last even longer, fucking her from dusk to dawn, but that didn’t seem to be what fate had in store for the lovers. No. It was time for Aiden to have a release of his own, and as he felt that same bliss that he’d given Carmen coat his body, like the fur that coated him during his shift, he knew that he was about to cum.
As Carmen and Aiden came at the same time, something magical happened. Aiden’s eyes flashed bright green, as Carmen had seen them flash before, when he’d defended her or whenever the bear inside of him woke and roared. This time, it was different, though. It was stronger, and it wasn’t just his eyes that were glowing...she looked down at the other source of light and couldn’t help but put a hand over her mouth.
The mark on Aiden’s chest was glowing before her very eyes. The outside border changed first. It was as if they were being filled with liquid light. The usually dark mark was glowing bright white on the edges, which made the mark stand out. Every inch of the vines and thorns were glazed with light. The briar roses at the top of the mate mark, the crown of the mate mark, were glowing bright red and pink, the petals seeming to pulsate and change under the skin. The garden in the center of the mark, her grandmother Carmen’s garden, was glowing, starting at the roots of each plant, at their bases, with the lights making their ways up, into the leaves of the plants and up into the flowers, which then seemed to bloom. The flowers, which had previously been closed and dark, blossomed into shades of light brown, of pink, of red, and of white so pale it almost looked blue because it revealed the blue veins beneath the skin as if it was transparent.
The mark looked different now. The flowers that had looked dead? They now looked like they were living. The black vines surrounding the garden had turned bright gold. Only the briar roses had stayed the same color, still pink and red against Aiden’s taut chest. Carmen ran her fingers on the mate mark. There was no frikkin’ way that her imagination would’ve been able to conjure up this kind of illusion...so that had to mean one thing, and one thing only.
“Carmen...you know what this means, don’t you?” asked Aiden, looking down at the curvy goddess he’d always known was meant for him.
“It must mean...I’m really your fated mate, right?” asked Carmen.
“That’s right...but Carmen...I didn’t need a mate mark to tell me that,” said Aiden, kissing Carmen’s forehead. “Even if it hadn’t glowed...I would’ve dedicated the rest of my life to making you happy, because you’re the most special woman I’ve ever met, and I never want to lose you.”
“Oh, Aiden,” said Carmen, resting her head on Aiden’s firm chest. “I never want this feeling to go away.”
“I have a feeling it never will,” said Aiden, running his hands through Carmen’s hair. “Carmen...I’m so glad that you’re my fated mate. I love you so much, you know that, don’t you?”
“I know...and you know I love you, don’t you?” asked Carmen, snuggling up against Aiden’s chest.
“Of course, my love,” said Aiden, stroking Carmen’s cheek with the back of his hand...until he sensed that she had fallen asleep. He gently rearranged her so that her head was on a pillow and he covered her up with a duvet before getting under the covers to join her in sleep.
Chapter Ten
The next morning, Carmen woke up to the smell of bacon. No. Waffles. With syrup and something else that was sweet...jam? It smelled like berries or wine. And was that butter? Her eyes fluttered open as the door to the bedroom opened. Standing there with a loaded tray was Aiden.
“Morning, sugar,” said Aiden. “I thought you might want a hearty breakfast after the workout you had last night.” Aiden put the tray down on the glass top cafe-style table in the room, which was next to a large window overlooking the trees leading into the depths of the forest. Aiden went through a closet and got out a large white robe and walked it over to Carmen and helped her into the robe.
Carmen walked over to the table. Aiden had put this all together on his own? There were two mugs of tea and two plates that were loaded with waffles with marionberry syrup, butter, and maple syrup with powdered sugar and marionberries sprinkled on top, as well as thick slabs of bacon. “You did all this for me?” asked Carmen.
“Of course, you’re my fated mate, and that means something,” said Aiden, pulling out Carmen’s chair for her. “Is it up to your standards?”
“Definitely,” said Carmen, and she started in on the waffles. They were really more of a dessert than a breakfast food, but the sugar and complex carbs gave her energy and filled her right up. The waffles were fluffy but had wonderfully crispy golden edges. The mixture of syrups was divine and what she had thought was maple syrup was actually deep, dark marionberry honey.
Aiden sat across from his curvy mate and sipped at his tea. “So, is there anything you want to do while we’re down in Port Jameson?” asked Aiden.
“I have no clue,” said Carmen. “What would you do if you were me?”
“Well, we could walk around town and see what activities catch our eyes,” said Aiden. “Maybe do a little window shopping.”
“That sounds perfect,” said Carmen, nibbling on a slab of bacon. She looked out the window. It was a new day and Aiden was right. She did feel better about all the drama that had happened the day before. Today was a new day, and it had the potential to be perfect.
***
An hour later, Carmen and Aiden were walking the streets of Port Jameson together. They’d parked off of the main street and idly strolled down the street, entering any shops that caught their eye, from knitting goods stores to bakeries and cafes. They had a few small bags of clothes that Aiden had convinced Carmen would be absolutely adorable on her, and as they sat outside a cafe with their sweet iced teas (marionberry flavored, of course), Carmen spotted a flyer with a mermaid on it. She got up to look at it more closely.
“Mermaid...makeovers?” said Carmen, turning to Aiden.
“Oh, they’re available right now?” asked Aiden.
“Yeah, it says they’re at some place along the river,” said Carmen.
“Right, Kaua’s Photo Studio,” said Aiden. “Kaua’s a Polynesian woman who is one of the most popular photographers in the Pacific Northwest. She does seasonal types of portraits based on current trends and the seasons, but every summer, she does mermaid themed photoshoots. It’s already August, so I thought by now, she would’ve moved on to Halloween themed stuff.”
“Sounds kinda goofy,” said Carmen.
“Does it? Or does it sound kinda awesome?” asked Aiden.
“Okay, a mermaid themed photoshoot would be cool, but I don’t know if they’d have stuff for me,” said Carmen. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly some stick-thin model.”
Aiden couldn’t help himself from laughing. “Sugar, trust me. You wanna give this place a try,” said Aiden.
“Sounds like you just want to collect a bunch of dirty pics of me,” teased Carmen. “Alright, let’s go.”
Aiden s
ettled their bill and they walked back to the car. Aiden knew exactly where Kaua’s place was and within twenty minutes, they were at her studio. It was a few miles outside of town, on the Willamette River. There was a large inviting sign outside a relatively large plain white building that looked more like a spa than a photography studio.
Aiden helped Carmen out of the car and they walked in. The inside also looked like a spa, done in tones of cream and seafood. At the counter was a receptionist whose name tag read, “Hazel”.
“Welcome to Kaua’s!” said Hazel. Carmen looked over the woman who was wearing a teal uniform with an ivory apron. She had curves like hers. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Hello, we’re wondering if you have any spots available today for a mermaid photoshoot,” said Carmen. “I saw a flyer for them in town.”
Hazel flipped through a scheduling book. “It looks like you came at the perfect time,” said Hazel. “I’ll check with my boss to see if we can squeeze you in.”
“Great,” said Carmen, turning to Aiden. She squeezed his hand. This place was a lot better than she thought it would be.
Hazel walked back to the desk with a taller woman who had curves like hers, but who also had shorter grey hair that was far from average. The hair was streaked through with more shades of deep violet and purple and lavender than an English garden. The woman had a hibiscus flower pinned to her apron. “Hello, are you the young lady interested in a mermaid photoshoot?” asked the woman, whose name tag read “Kaua”.
“Yes, I’m Carmen, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Carmen, shaking Kaua’s hand. “Is there any way you can squeeze me in today?”
“Of course, honey, but first, we have to figure out what your mermaid is like,” said Kaua. She started to lead Carmen to the back. Aiden followed, but Kaua was having none of that. She put her hands up to Aiden. “Nope. Absolutely not. You’re going to have to wait in the front, this is a lady’s only zone right now.”
Aiden put his hands up. “I don’t have to be told twice,” he said. “Carmen, have a blast.” He turned and headed back to the waiting room.
“Sorry about that,” said Kaua. “I just want to ensure you have a wonderful photoshoot for yourself, not for anyone else. I know people can get nervous when their husbands are around.”
“My husband?” said Carmen. “Oh, Aiden’s just my boyfriend.”
“For now, honey, but wait until he sees these pics!” teased Kaua. She had lead Carmen to a small room with purple carpeting and a large white book case and two white tufted armchairs and a coffee table. Hazel brought them both cups of iced water. Kaua pulled a book out of the bookcase and passed it to Carmen. “Now, let’s figure out what sort of mermaid you have.”
“Aren’t they all the same?” asked Carmen.
“Oh, not at all, honey,” said Kaua. She opened the binder. “There’s mermaid legends from all over the world. They’re all different.”
Kaua pointed at a picture of a stereotypical mermaid, with a green tail and blonde hair and a seashell bra. “This type of mermaid is commonly portrayed and found in Western media. This often has to do with a more sexual mermaid legend,” explained Kaua. “Sometimes, these are women who are like the sirens, who will lure a man to a watery grave with their sensuality, the power of their voice enough to bring even the most powerful men in the world to their knees.”
“There’re also mermaids that are shapeshifters,” continued Kaua, turning the page. There was a picture labeled ‘Selkie’, of a woman with a seal skin next to her, with long black hair like Carmen’s, and a sealskin covered boat “These are women who have a secret, mysterious side and often have to choose between living in one of two worlds.”
“There’re also mermaids who are scary,” said Kaua, turning the page, showing a mermaid with dark hair that looked like tangled kelp and a fish tail that was sharp and jagged in some places. “These are women who have magical powers that they choose to use against humans, causing storms and tempest and what have you. Bad bitches, for sure.”
Kaua turned the page to a picture that looked a little cheesy, of a mermaid with a pink tail and glittery seashell bra cups and blonde hair waved and curled. “There’s also the cutesier glamour model style of mermaid,” explained Kaua. “This is very popular for women who want to be a princess, even if it’s just for a day.”
“And finally, we have this mermaid,” said Kaua, turning the page. The mermaid in the picture was wearing what looked like a mixture of lingerie and costume wear, with a seashell bra with lace on the outside, with a fishtail and fishnet gloves. “Very sexy, very sensual, and able to disguise herself on land.”
“That’s definitely the one I want to look like,” said Carmen. “So what’s next?”
“I’ll start setting up the studio with Hazel...but my three stylists, BJ, Shannon, and Debra, will work with you on getting the perfect look,” said Kaua. “Ladies!” She clapped her hands and her three assistants, all in teal with ivory aprons, rushed out.
Kaua walked off and the three ladies stayed with Carmen. “What look did you end up choosing?” asked BJ.
“The sexy mermaid, who is a mistress of disguises,” said Carmen.
“Oh, a great choice,” said Shannon. “The only question is...how far are you willing to go to get the look?”
“Well, I’m not comfortable getting anything extreme done regarding permanent things like my hair,” said Carmen. “But makeup, costumes, I’m up for anything.”
“I’m in charge of hair,” explained BJ. “I’m a certified stylist. You want to keep your hair long, yes?”
“Yes,” said Carmen. “But I know I need the dead ends trimmed, and I wouldn’t mind having bangs. I’m also okay with it being, say, curled. It just has to look good for job interviews and school.”
“Alright, what I’m thinking is, we’ll give you a wash out tint,” said BJ. “Do you like navy blue? I know it’s not the most exciting color, but believe it or not, we can dye your black hair using a blue dye and it’ll look somewhat blue, but wash out within a few weeks. If you use clarifying shampoo, you can rush the process.”
“Navy blue is perfect,” said Carmen. “Anything else you suggest?”
“Let’s keep your current straight hair texture, but, we can use wigs during the photoshoot if we wanna do anything fun,” said BJ.
“Sounds great,” said Carmen. Carmen followed BJ to the hair area, and while the curvy stylist gave her a trim and gave her a quick tint, Shannon picked out makeup colors with her, and Debra helped her pick out the outfits. She went for a very sensual burlesque inspired look, with black and navy colors as the main colors, but with beautiful jewel tones and hints of pastels for accessories and clothes. Within an hour, her hair was done, and she changed into a robe. Shannon did her makeup, which involved using more glitter than a craft store, giving her a gorgeous look.
Finally, she had to get changed into the mermaid clothes. The clothes were all designed to be worn after the hair and makeup process, so they didn’t have to go over the head, and many items were put on bra-style, front first, clasping in the back. She was put into a pair of navy blue mermaid scale patterned hot pants because there was no frikkin’ way she could walk in the tail.
***
“No frikkin way,” said Aiden as he flipped through the album of pics one last time. “Kaua and her girls were able to take all these shots in a single afternoon?”
“What did you think we were doing back there, sitting around eating bonbons?” asked Carmen.
“Weren’t you?” asked Aiden.
“Between scenes, yes, there may have been chocolate covered strawberries...but there was also a lot of moving around and posing,” explained Carmen. “Trust me. They made me earn those shots.” All the running around the studio had helped Carmen work up an appetite. Aiden had taken her to a small gastropub that had good food and an intimate atmosphere. They’d both had large cheeseburgers and they’d shared a bunch of sides. There were mango chili chicken wing
s, beer battered onion rings, and of course, spicy jalapeño poppers filled with cream cheese.
They were now on their dessert course and while Carmen enjoyed her chocolate treat, Aiden was practically salivating over his own special dessert...the privilege of seeing the dozens of great shots Kaua had taken of Carmen, with the help of her lovely, curvy assistants, who had transformed Carmen from a curvy shy brunette into a sassy, sophisticated mermaid, in a mere afternoon. Kaua and her four lovely assistants had set up the scenes and made Carmen look like a mermaid, but it was up to Carmen to move herself into different positions and react when Kaua told her to act, at one moment, more wild, like a fierce shark, and at other moments, like a strand of seaweed sashaying onto a beach during high tide. They had posed Carmen against green screens, with props to hold, and also had her go outside, to pose on the rocky pebble beach along the Willamette River, which ran outside the studio. The fruits of their labors were in Aiden’s hands. Shot after shot revealed to him a side of Carmen that she usually hid from the world, a side that was as sexy and sensual as his hidden side was dangerous and protective.
In one shot, Carmen was perched on a fake rock, pretending to answer a shell as if it was a phone...a “shell”-phone. Her hair was flung back behind her shoulders and her head was tossed back into a laugh that Aiden thought must be real...and which made him wonder what exactly made her laugh.
In another shot, Carmen was lying back on the pebbly riverbank, reaching out towards the camera as if begging for the viewer to rescue her, as if beckoning Aiden to come towards her and help her...but a glint in her eye made the shot look playful, but on further glance, maybe dangerous, as if she was trying to lure him to the ocean so she could take him to her underwater palace where he’d be her handsome boy toy for all eternity. That was a fate that Aiden didn’t find himself minding imagining as his cock shifted in his pants, hardening and pressing against the fabric.
