The Mermaid Catches Her Mate

by Jax Cassidy

  “I’m certain you know why I’m here.” She opened up her clutch and pulled out an envelope.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Luna rolled her eyes. “This isn’t some K-drama where you can buy me off.”

  Natalia’s hand froze in mid-air. “I see. So this isn’t the first time you’ve been asked to stay away from a man?”

  Her puzzled expression made Luna laugh. “Do I look like the town harlot?” Luna switched her gaze and the delicate fairy charm sparkled, catching her eye for a brief second.

  “Fine, then I’ll just get straight to the point.” The woman shoved the item back into her purse. “If you’re trying to catch Ace Conall, think again. He’s encountered women just like you many times before. If you want to use your, so-called ‘relationship’ to blackmail him, then it’s not going to work. He won’t let it get to that.” She changed tactics, “I’m doing you a favor by making it easy before you get hurt.”

  “I think we’ll both win on this one. I don’t plan on having a ‘relationship’ with Ace. I’m just using him for his body,” Luna stated nonchalantly. That was a half-truth, anyway.

  Natalia’s eyes grew cold. “Ace has spent the majority of his life working hard to reach this point in his career. I’ve also made enough sacrifices, so I won’t let some commoner seduce him into throwing it all away,” she snarled.

  Luna rolled her eyes at the jealousy dripping from her voice. “Commoner? What are we, in the Middle Ages now? I don’t think you have any right to make that decision for him. I’m not going to stand around and listen to this nonsense.” Luna turned and marched away.

  She didn’t get far when the woman’s nails bit into her forearm, spinning Luna around with a force that took her by surprise. She faced the blonde, pissed off at the unnecessary hostility. Were those fangs? Luna blinked, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for Natalia’s angry glare. She took a step backward and yanked her arm away. Forgetting how close she was to the water’s edge, Luna lost her footing. Natalia stepped forward as Luna grasped the air in a desperate attempt to regain her balance. She grappled one last time, only to grab hold of the dainty necklace that dangled helplessly from Natalia’s neck.

  Luna went tumbling into the water, still clutching the object in her palm. She wasn’t focused on the transformation that occurred when her body was submerged in water. As her legs merged to form a single fin, sweeping back and forth under the water, she gasped in horror at the realization.

  The woman exclaimed, “My God! You’re a mermaid.”

  “What are you going to do?” Keke paced back and forth so much Luna thought she’d put a hole in the floor.

  “If I knew the answer, I wouldn’t have come over,” Luna said dryly.

  She halted and dropped down on the office chair. “What if I made her forget what she saw?”

  “I agree. However, I’m worried she’s already going to use the knowledge against me.” Luna ran her fingers through her hair. “I think it’s time I move back home.”

  “NO! We’ll figure something out,” Keke eyes flashed. “Let’s go with my plan and Uni-dust her butt. After all, I don’t think you’d want to try it your way.” She made a funny face. “Gah. You’d have to kiss her!”

  One of the abilities a mermaid possessed was to erase memories through a kiss. She’d have to hold the intention to retract the events in the mortal’s mind for it to work effectively. However, she also had the ability to control this magic if she wanted them to keep the memories intact. She’d only ever used this ability on the men whom she’d saved at sea.

  “Right. Let’s go with your plan.” Luna sighed. “The problem is luring her away in order to make it happen.”

  “Well, she did try paying you off,” Keke blurted, “Maybe you should tell her you’re ready to take the offer. Once she goes to meet you, I’ll make my appearance and BAM!”

  Luna grimaced. “You scare me sometimes.”

  The rainbow-haired beauty snorted. “You’re not the only one. I scare myself half the time.” She smiled cheerfully. “How about some wine?”

  “It’s only one o’clock,” Luna reminded. “Screw it. Fill her up.”

  “Awesomesauce! You’re in for a treat with my latest batch of wine that’s ready.”

  She watched her friend search for the wine bottle opener. For once, she was grateful to have someone to talk to. She’d hoped to be able to return the favor someday. Luna couldn’t ask for a better bestie. The talented woman was as fiercely loyal as any friend or sister could be. The thought made her miss her family a little more.

  She’d never considered how others viewed her until now. She never saw herself as a person who ran away when the going got tough, but everything seemed to point to that. She wasn’t going to run any more. It was time to grow up and return home, back to the family business. Maybe being caught was a sign she’d needed to make a firm decision.

  Yet, that familiar hesitation was weighing on her chest like a steel anchor.

  Keke came back with the wine bottle and two glasses. She poured a healthy portion into each glass and handed Luna one.

  She took a sip, about to swallow when her friend spoke.

  “I see Mr. Magic Ace closed the deal.” Keke gave her a knowing grin.

  Luna almost choked, spewing out some of the wine. “KEKE!”

  “My sense of smell is keen. Unicorn, remember?” She tapped her nose. “That’s all I’m saying.”

  “Do you always have to be so direct?”

  “Yep.”

  “Mind your own business,” Luna made a surly face. She didn’t want to confess that they’d only gotten to second base. True to Basil’s fan club Intel, Ace had been quite a ‘gent’. She knew if she hadn’t hesitated, she wouldn’t have woken up in the bed alone.

  Keke giggled, “That good, eh?”

  “I’m not going to kiss and tell.”

  “If he hasn’t closed the deal, he will.” Her friend let out a half whinny-snort.

  Luna blushed. “For Neptune’s sakes!” She quickly turned to her drink, casually smelling the fragrance of the wine, and then took a sip.

  “Not bad. I think the raspberry and lavender hybrid worked.” Keke held the glass up for inspection. “In my next batch, I may add a bit more berries.”

  “It’s really good,” Luna agreed after the second sip. “Are you going to finally launch your wine label? You should.”

  She shrugged. “Someday.” Keke grabbed the bottle and refilled their glasses. She sat back down and peered at Luna, concern in her eyes. “You aren’t falling in love with him are you?”

  “Of course not!” Luna answered quickly. “You know how I feel about the subject.”

  “Good. You’ve been so adamant about never meeting the same fate as your aunt. I didn’t want you to change your mind.” She paused, her tone soft, “It’s not worth dying for, y’know? Love is overrated.”

  Luna knew Keke’s words came from a place of loss, a hidden clue to her past. She was also well aware Keke didn’t want to see her get hurt. Or die an agonizing death from heartbreak. Once a mermaid had chosen their mate, there was no turning back. A painful squeeze to her heart caused her to flinch, but she didn’t dare mention it.

  In the deep recesses of her mermaid soul, she wasn’t so sure she’d walk away unscathed.

  Watching Luna leave the Hallowed Bean with her iced coffee in hand, Ace followed her from a distance. He’d called her salon yesterday and they’d mentioned she had the day off today. He’d texted her earlier but she didn’t respond to his messages like she usually did. To be honest, he missed their light bantering to get him through the day. Rehearsals were long and grueling so their daily chats gave him the added strength he needed to perform at best. The magic show production was starting up soon, yet he made time in his hectic schedule to spend with her.

  Lunch and dinner with her became routine. The more time they spent together, the greedier he became. He desired
her company and was eager to learn everything about her. In fact, his hope was for her to confide in him about being a mermaid. Perhaps he simply wanted the opportunity to tell her the truth.

  When they were together, Ace felt a sense of normalcy with her that he’d never even experienced with Aislinn. He was able to be himself, minus cluing Luna in regarding his powers and his family title. Even a prince needed time to be an ordinary man.

  He ducked behind a lamp post when she turned in his direction. Ace peered around the beam and muttered to himself, “Where is she going?”

  Luna passed a pet shop, stopping in front of the window. She bent forward and pressed her face close to the glass. She seemed to be communicating with the creatures in the aquarium. He chuckled as she tried to pet them through the barrier, and then she said her goodbyes before marching on ahead. He’d been so absorbed in watching her that several people bumped into him. As they walked off, they practically tripped over themselves for a second glance at him.

  Ace pulled his ball cap down and quickened his pace. He hoped he wouldn’t be discovered, but each day it was getting tougher to step out incognito as the show loomed closer. The media had set up camp near the event and it was increasingly difficult to leave without being hassled by the paparazzi. He used to relish being the top story in the headlines, trending on social media, but these days he preferred to stay under the radar with Luna in his life. He loved watching her create and speak about her passions and ocean based products.

  She was intelligent, funny, and refreshing compared to the pretentious women he’d been with. They would talk for hours and she’d often fall asleep on his lap on the sofa. Her home was comforting, just like Luna. What he’d once considered boring in a relationship was now pleasurable, and surprisingly didn’t involve jumping into bed.

  In fact, Ace hadn’t initiated sleeping with her, not yet. Definitely not from lack of attraction. He wanted to gain her trust first. Then he would tell her the entire truth. She deserved to hear it from him. For the first time in his spoiled prince life, he wanted to stay with her for the long haul.

  He chose her to be his eternal mate regardless of the consequences. Regardless of his father’s wrath.

  “Kearney was right. I have it bad.” He murmured.

  Ten minutes later Ace made his way up a wooded path that led to a clearing. He thought he’d lost her, but that’s when he spotted Luna sitting on a patch of grass, her messenger bag next to her feet. Ace was going to make himself known to her when he heard…footsteps? Hoof steps? He immediately stepped back into the shrubbery and a beautiful unicorn made her way to Luna.

  “Well, what do we have here?” Ace couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. It seemed like every mythical creature was hiding in Nocturne Falls.

  Luna jumped up to greet the animal. He was too far away to hear her conversation, but she was speaking, then bent down and grabbed the bag. She dug inside and pulled out a handful of strange berries. He thought she was going to feed the animal, but it suddenly shifted into a woman.

  His eyes widened. “Keke?”

  Ace rarely used magic to transport out, but he was considering it. He didn’t want to be stuck behind some bushes all day while the women had their pow-wow session. Who knew how long that would take? He took one quick glance back at Luna when the smile on her face faded. The berries rolled out of her hand as she clutched her chest, dropping to her knees. Luna’s expression was one of pure agony as Keke held onto her.

  Ace was furious at himself. He wanted to go to her, but if he did that, she would know he’d been lying and would lose her trust in him. Right now, her safety was more important than standing by and doing nothing. Just when he made a decision to blow his cover, he felt a hard yank on his shirt collar and within seconds, his butt landed smack on the floor of his luxury apartment.

  “What the h—”

  “Settle down.” Kearney held out his hand, which he accepted. The man pulled Ace up onto his feet.

  “I need to go back,” he said. “I need to make sure Luna is okay.”

  Kearney shook his head. “It’s too risky. I’ll do the checking. You need to stay put.”

  “I don’t need to listen to you!” he roared. “You work for me, remember?”

  He stepped close, facing Ace. His voice was calm when he spoke, “No. I am your guardian, but I work for your da. I pledged allegiance to the Kingdom of Draíocht.” Kearney straightened. “While you were busy trailing after Luna, I was watching you. Those people you bumped into were reporters, but I managed to persuade them to give up their cameras.”

  Ace took a deep breath, letting the gravity of his friend’s words sink in. He’d been so smitten with Luna he had made a crucial mistake. The thought of everyone being discovered made him sick to his stomach. How would the world react to this revelation? His chest constricted in pain, heavy with guilt. He was such a fool to let this happen!

  “I’ve been so careless,” he ground out.

  “Nay, my prince.” Kearney clamped a hand on Ace’s shoulder and grinned. “You’re in love.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Luna leaned back against the bathtub, her mermaid tail draped over the side, preventing a tight squeeze. “This feels like it belongs to a hobbit,” she expelled in frustration.

  She managed to secure a discreet time to swim in the lake without triggering any suspicions, but the past few days the magician’s tent was bustling around the clock. It was too risky to be in the water when there was so much action taking place. She’d resorted to settling for the tiny confines of her bathroom in order to re-energize enough to get her through the day. Unfortunately, there were no large bodies of water around town that weren’t occupied by tourists or lovers.

  On top of all that, she had been suffering. The painful spells were getting worse as the weeks passed. Today was definitely a eleven on the pain scale. She closed her eyes and allowed her head to clear, yet the image that haunted her since their first encounter wasn’t one she could easily dismiss. Ace had somehow slipped into her once impenetrable heart and breathed life into it.

  She had stupidly gone and fallen in love with the man. How ironic that loving a human meant losing her heart forever. Literally. Of course, there was only one way she would be able to keep it intact, but it would require Ace falling in love with her. She slammed her hand in the water and the liquid splashed everywhere.

  She didn’t want to hear the stories about the devilish man, but working at Hair Scare made it impossible. The place was a prime spot for the latest gossip and she was stuck there listening to the same tunes day in and day out. There was no telling if Ace was genuinely interested or merely out to charm her, bed her, and leave her broken.

  Luna heaved a troubled sigh. She could lie to everyone about her feelings for him, although she couldn’t lie to herself. The truth was that she was scared. She’d sworn never to fall in love with a mortal man, yet she had repeated the same tragic tale. She let out a high pitched cry and slid below the water to try to drown away her worries.

  “Luna?” the deep voice came from the living room. “Your door was open,” he added.

  She splashed about in the ceramic bathtub as she tried to sit up. She was still too weak to retract her fin and she panicked. Keke had forgotten to lock up again. The woman was known to walk out of her house without any fear of intruders. Truthfully, they lived remotely enough that it was never an issue until the tent came in.

  Ace sounded concerned, “What’s happening in there? Are you alright?” His footsteps grew closer.

  “Stay right there! I’m fine!” she hollered back. “I’m just finishing up in here.”

  “Okay, I’ll wait,” he sounded relieved.

  Luna concentrated again without losing patience. The scales slowly disappeared, the fin retracted and split apart, soon transforming into a pair of toned, lean legs.

  She puffed out a happy breath and pulled on her robe before entering the living room. She bit back
a smile recalling Ace wearing it not too long ago.

  He finished pouring two glasses of wine and set them down on the coffee table. He spun around to face her and desire flashed in his eyes upon seeing her. “You’re gorgeous.”

  Luna’s hair was still damp, her feet bare, as she stood there with a hint of a smile. She wasn’t used to hearing compliments and could feel warmth rising to her cheeks. She licked her lip, causing an immediate reaction to her unconscious gesture. Ace took two long strides and cupped her face, pulling her to him. His mouth crushed hers in a kiss that sent her toes curling. They couldn’t get enough of each other. The feel of his lips behind her ear sent sparks coursing through her body. She shivered when his mouth made its way down her neck.

  She let out a soft moan and he scooped her up into his strong arms, their lips reconnecting as he carried her into the bedroom. He lowered her onto the bed and stepped back to pull off his shirt before stripping out of his jeans. Her eyes widened at his perfectly sculpted body and he laughed at her expression.

  Ace climbed on the bed and sat facing her. His fingers sensually traced her jaw, the shape and curve of her lips. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, then reached for the edge of the robe and slid it off her shoulders. His lips immediately traced the steps, traveled across the expanse of her bare flesh and she came undone.

  He stopped and palmed her face, staring deep into her eyes. “It’s as if I’m gazing into a beautiful emerald sea. They draw me in, as if you’re able to see my soul.”

  “Only if you want me to,” she said.

  His eyes held a hint of pain. “I’m afraid you might not like what you see.”

  “Too late.” She turned her face toward his hand to kiss his palm. “I’m afraid I like everything about you, Ace Conall.”

  “I’ll hold you to it, lass.” He captured her lips, claiming her with every kiss. Every stroke of his tongue. He broke away for a second and warned, “There’s no going back now.”