The Call Of Thalassa

“True love has no boundaries.

It is vast as the ocean and

limitless as the sky.”

-Avijeet Das

The slight breeze of the afternoon carried the familiar salty scent of the ocean, making Aileen’s nose tingle in delight. The seagulls let themselves fall from the top of the high cliffs, letting their white-feathered wings to open in their downfall and fill with air as they traveled above the surface of the calm sea.

Her emerald eyes followed their majestic dance as she enjoyed the feeling of the sand on her bare feet. Their bravery was admirable –their beauty enviable. She wondered how it would feel like to have such unlimited freedom, to open your wings and let yourself get lost in the infinity that the aether offered.

As the marvelous birds were lost on the horizon, her eyes caught sight of a familiar figure in the shallow waters. A wide smile illuminated her face and her orbs sparkled with adoration, while she watched her merman waiting for her patiently. She let her legs guide her to him, admiring the way his strong tail splashed around in the clear waters of the ocean. His long black strands were dancing in the breeze and his blue eyes were focused on the infinity blue in front of him.

She tucked a strand of flaming hair behind her ear as she felt a deep blush covering her face and neck. She still couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have drawn the attention of such a marvelous man. Taking her long dress in her hand, she made her way towards him.

Havelock sensed her presence before she appeared. It wasn’t her footsteps that gave her away, but her sweet scent that he would recognize anywhere. He let a genuine smile decorate his features at her arrival, looking over his shoulder to meet her sparkling emerald eyes with his glowing blue ones.

The sight of her walking elegantly towards him with the sand reflecting the colors of the afternoon sun and her flaming strands dancing wildly in the wind, made his breathing labored. His mate had a beauty he had never seen before –not only in appearance but most importantly in character too.

Having met her only a month or so ago, he couldn’t be more thankful for Thalassa’s gift. She had gone from terribly frightened to reluctant, from accepting to loving. She had accepted their differences and finally saw past them, giving them the chance in love that both of them deserved. His mate was the most precious treasure to him from all points of view. She had become a vital part of his life in such short notice that he could no more imagine a future without her in it.

These past few days that the rainy weather didn’t allow them to meet were absolute hell for him. Not being able to see that gorgeous smile lightening up her whole face and feel the softness of her long strands wasn’t easy for him. He needed his soulmate close to him, so he can keep her safe and happy. The distance didn’t help either of them.

She shook him out of his deep thoughts as she sat down beside him. Aileen let her feet feel the coldness of the salty waters, which made a shiver run down her spine at the freezing temperature. She ignored the frigidity and leaned her head on the broad shoulder of her merman. His hands instantly found themselves around her petite form, embracing the small beauty in the safety of his arms.

Feeling the fiery sparks of his gentle touch erupt like bright fireworks on her skin, she ignored the icy droplets of seawater that covered him. She didn’t care about that. She was finally seeing him after a few days of absence.

“I missed you, meum Arcanum”

His whisper made her snuggle herself in his chest, enjoying his tight hug and the gentle kiss he left on the crown of her head –so soft like the touch of a white feather.

“I missed you too, Have”, she answered honestly.

His absence was more than noticeable these past few days. She had missed the loving beast in front of her terribly, wondering if he felt the same as her. She had caught herself a lot of times wondering off, thinking about what he could possibly be doing or how he was. Memories of his gleaming blue orbs and glistening smile, his gentle touch, and his melodious voice had filled her mind many times, making her feel an ache in her chest as he wasn’t with her.

She didn’t know when her feelings for him had intensified, but she didn’t regret it. The man was a proper gentleman, taking into consideration her thoughts and feelings and making sure she was always comfortable and content.

Merman or human, he treated her like a princess and made her feel like the most special girl in the world. She didn’t care about what normalcy’s rules demanded anymore –they were different from everyone else. And that was what made them so special.

Getting a mischievous smile on her lips, she moved away from him watching his reaction with hooded eyes. Havelock frowned as he felt her warmth disappearing and tried to reach out to her. The playful red-head immersed herself in the shallow waters of the ocean, avoiding his stretched arms. Letting a sound between a disapproving hiss and a longing whimper, her merman moved his whole body in an attempt to take a hold of her.

He felt a wave of freezing salty water making contact forcefully with his face, drenching his features in the cold substance. Surprised, he closed his eyes tightly as he felt the water droplets hitting him with unexpected force -blinding him only for a couple of seconds.

The sound of melodious giggles made him regain his focus quickly as he watched his beloved mate trying to hold in her laughter. He cocked his head to the side and let a confused smile appear on his face as the sweet sounds escaped from her louder and louder. Then, it downed to him. The little minx had dared to splash him!

He narrowed his glowing eyes at her –a playful smile still on his lips. Two can play this game! Freeing his tail from beneath him, he moved forward until he stood only a few feet in front of her.

“Come here, meum Arcanum”, he said in a hoarse tone as he watched her cheeks turning red from laughing so hard.

Aileen shook her head in denial, enjoying the fact she had caught him off guard.

“Aileen”, she shivered in delight as he whispered her name in his deep baritone, “come to me, my love.”

He let a hand stretch in front of him, willing her to hold it. Aileen shook her head negatively, leaving a few more giggles to escape her.

“You have to catch me first.”

Havelock looked baffled and shocked as she suddenly stood on her feet and run deeper into the salty waters. Aileen used her legs in her advantage until she no longer could reach the seabed beneath. Feeling herself surrounded by the clear waters of the ocean, she turned around to her merman.

She gave him a wink, watching his eyes widening in surprise before glowing brighter and turning into slits. She took a deep breath of air and submerged under the surface of the water, just as she watched him advancing towards her.

She kicked her hands and legs elegantly as she had done so many times before, letting herself dive deeper and deeper underwater. Careful of the sharp rocks around her and the caves that she could accidentally trap herself in, she enjoyed the freedom the ocean always offered to her. She admired the way the light of the slowly setting sun shined in the ocean’s deep, offering a different perspective of the underwater world. She closed her eyes and let her senses take over, feeling the currents guide her movements softly.

Opening her emerald pools again, she saw her mate staring at her from a few feet away from her. Havelock had a look in his glowing eyes that made her insides melt –a mix of adoration, awe, and fear in his gaze. She gave him a smile, before moving slowly towards the surface –her oxygen running slowly but surely out.

Havelock watched her graceful moves with only one thought running through his mind; beautiful. She had made him captive of her charms by doing nothing but the simplest of things. He moved his powerful fins with a glint of determination in his glowing orbs. He swam towards her rising form unhurriedly, taking his sweet time to take in her breathtaking sight.

Aileen broke through the surface, taking in a few deep breaths of much needed fresh air. She blushed as she realized what she had started, wondering where she had found all this courage to provoke him. Not that she regretted it –she was more than happy that this chase had started, but her shyness started to crawl back to the surface.

She jumped in startlement as she felt something scaly brush against her tights. The sensation was somewhat odd but familiarly gentle. She had touched Havelock’s tail a couple of times ago. She felt herself turning even redder as a memory flashed in front of her eyes.

She was with her merman on another beautiful afternoon, gazing at the majestic sunset in front of them. Aileen had torn her gaze from the setting sun and the colorful horizon in front of her and turned her attention to the merman beside her. Filled with a sense of curiosity and being bolder than usual, she allowed her palm to hesitantly rest on his strong tail. Havelock’s blue orbs instantly snapped up to hers, but he did not complain at her touch.

She admired the beautiful scales that decorated it –their dark blue and silver color sparkling like precious gems under the sun’s last light. She moved her hand up and down in a gentle caress, enjoying the feeling of his hard fins on her soft skin. Suddenly, all of his scales stood up in attention –from the ones near his waist to those at the end of his tail. A purring sound began from the depths of his chest, before leaving his mouth as a sign of his approval and fondness.

She blushed slightly but made a move to continue her gentle caresses. His hand reached hers, stopping her before she could repeat the delightful action. His purring turned up a notch as he hugged her to himself, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

“Have?“, she asked hesitantly, “Did I do something wrong?”

His nose brushed the column of her neck making her shiver.

“No, meum Arcanum”, he whispered, “I would say you did the exact opposite.”

She frowned in confusion.

“Oh?”

His blue eyes found her emerald ones and she gasped at the hunger inside of them. It made her insides tingle and her breathing to accelerate. His purring sound continued, vibrating against her chest as he hugged her to himself.

“I am sorry, my love”, he kissed the side of her jaw, “It’s just that I can’t control myself while you’re doing that. You drive me crazy.”

She looked at him baffled but did not dare ask again.

“Brushing the scales of your mate is a sign of seduction, meum Arcanum. They are very sensitive and make our hormones run wild.”

She froze for a second, registering his words. Then, her whole face flushed in embarrassment, while his eyes widened in delight at such sight, enjoying the blush on her porcelain skin.

“Oh!“, was all she could utter.

“Yes, oh!“, he let a laugh escape him.

“Don’t start something you cannot finish, meum Arcanum”, he nibbled playfully on her jaw.

Her thoughts were cut short when she felt his scales brush up against her once again. She released her lower lip, not realizing when she had bitten it. Was he trying to seduce her?

Well, if he was, he was doing a wonderful job at it. She didn’t know how to react to his teasing touch, having never before found herself in such a position with a boy. But this was no boy that was swimming around her like the predator he was –this was her merman, her soul’s other half. She let herself relax and let the feeling wash over her.

She felt a hand gripping gently on her right ankle, squeezing her enough to warn her to take a deep breath of air. Doing as she was told, she let herself be immersed into the coldness of the water as Havelock gently pulled her underwater by his grip. He pulled her under the sea’s surface until she came face to face with him. Letting her ankle go, he let his arms embrace her petite form as his tail got tangled with her legs.

Aileen looked deep into his glowing blue eyes, feeling herself getting lost into them. His eyes were the windows of his soul, swirling with so many emotions he couldn’t express to her with his words. She let her palm caress softly the gills on his neck –three thin lines that allowed him to breathe underwater, before moving onto his defined cheek.

His orbs glowed brighter as the light around them dimmed even more -the sun almost completely lost on the horizon. They kept flickering between her emerald eyes and her plump lips. When he leaned into her and brushed them against her own, she could only tremble in anticipation.

He pressed his lips softly on hers, kissing her gently like the precious gem she was. His heart accelerated as her fingers found their way in his long black strands, caressing the nape of his neck. He felt his need rising, becoming desperate to feel her more. His hands ventured over her curved body, exploring her and making her whimper and gasp in delight.

The kiss turned fiery, passionate –both of them needing more closure than ever before. Her taste reached his tongue and he could only growl in pleasure at her sweet flavor. Aileen could only moan as his tongue danced with her own and her chest vibrated with his hoarsely sounds.

She was the first to break away –her need for oxygen becoming desperate. Tugging at his black locks, she separated his lips from hers forcefully and shivered as his blue eyes turned darker. He swam towards the surface, not letting her out of his tight embrace but understanding her need clearly. She gasped as the slight breeze hit her face and wheezed as she tried to gulp the air she so much needed. When she felt her heart calming down, she let her head rest against her mate’s chest enjoying the way he caressed her fiery hair.

“You are so precious to me, Aileen”, he whispered against her ear, making her stomach fill with a bunch of butterflies.

He lifted her chin up, forcing her to gaze into his glowing sapphire orbs.

“I love you, meum Arcanum.”

She felt her eyes filling with tears at his truthful confession. She moved closer to him, letting her trembling lips brush against his own.

“I love you too, my merman.”

And then, she pressed her lips to his.

Unaware of the figure that was watching them, hidden in the shadows of the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 23!!

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